AstraZeneca claims the COVID-19 vaccine the company has aided in developing provides 76% protection after the first dose and reduces asymptomatic transmission.
The vaccine’s clinical trials have also seen no hospitalizations even 22 days after the first dose, according to AstraZeneca’s press release.
Breaking News: The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine substantially slows the transmission of the coronavirus, researchers at the University of Oxford found. https://t.co/aC1zCctOfP
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 3, 2021
“This primary analysis reconfirms that our vaccine prevents severe disease and keeps people out of [the] hospital,” Executive Vice President of BioPharmaceuticals R&D Sir Mene Pangalos said in the press release. (RELATED: New COVID-19 Strain Could Be Vaccine-Resistant Due To New Mutation, Study Finds)
The study was conducted on 17,177 participants from the UK, Brazil, and South Africa and included 332 symptomatic cases.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine can be stored at normal refrigerated conditions, unlike the Pfizer vaccine already in use. The press release also claims the vaccine from AstraZeneca also has a shelf life of at least six months.
AstraZeneca partnered with the University of Oxford and Vaccitech to develop the vaccine. It has been granted conditional marketing authorization or emergency use in around 50 countries on four different continents.
The press release comes after Johnson & Johnson announced its vaccine is 72% effective against COVID-19, but just 57% effective against other strains of the virus. However, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is just one shot and only requires regular refrigeration.