Oxford study indicates AstraZeneca effective against Brazil coronavirus variant
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Early results had indicated the AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective against the South African variant, which is similar to P1. South Africa subsequently paused the use of the vaccine in the country.
Preliminary data from a study conducted at the University of Oxford indicates that the Covid vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC is effective against the P1, or Brazilian, variant, according to a report published in Reuters on Friday.
Early results had indicated the AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective against the South African variant, which is similar to P1. South Africa subsequently paused the use of the vaccine in the country.
The latest data indicates that the vaccine will not need to be modified in order to protect against the variant, which is believed to have originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus, said the source, who requested anonymity as the results have not yet been made public.
According to Reuters, the full results of the study will most likely be released by March end.
The P1 variant is among the factors that epidemiologists believe is contributing to a rise in cases and deaths, and there has been concern in the scientific community about the variant's resistance to vaccines.
Brazil is currently confronting a brutal and long-lasting second wave of the coronavirus, hitting a daily record of 1,910 deaths on Wednesday.