AstraZeneca says its Covid-19 vaccine shows limited protection against South Africa variant
The Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine provides limited protection against mild disease in cases caused by the variant first identified in South Africa, a spokesperson for AstraZeneca told CNN Saturday.
The Financial Times first reported Saturday that a study due to for release Monday showed the vaccine does not appear to provide protection against mild and moderate disease caused by the virus variant. CNN has not obtained a copy of the study.
“In this small phase I/II trial, early data has shown limited efficacy against mild disease primarily due to the B.1.351 South African variant,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement. “However, we have not been able to properly ascertain its effect against severe disease and hospitalization given that subjects were predominantly young healthy adults.”
AstraZeneca said it does believe the vaccine could provide protection against severe disease.
“Oxford University and AstraZeneca have started adapting the vaccine against this variant and will advance rapidly through clinical development so that it is ready for Autumn delivery should it be needed.”
Variant surges are possible but not inevitable, Fauci says
From CNN's Madeline Holcombe
Health experts have warned that the spread of new coronavirus variants, some of which appear to be more transmissible, could lead to them becoming predominant and spur more case surges.
But that is "not necessarily an inevitability," Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC's "The Beat" on Friday.
One of the best ways to keep variants from spreading and to prevent more mutations, he said, was "to double down on public health measures to prevent the virus from going from one person to another: the masking, the distancing, the avoiding congregate settings."
Another is for the public to get vaccinated as soon as possible, said Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
"As soon as the vaccine becomes available, please go out and get vaccinated, because the combination of vaccination and public health measures will bring the level of virus down so low you won't give it a chance to mutate," Fauci said.
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