New Delhi (NVI): AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine was found to be 76 percent effective at preventing symptomatic illness in a new analysis of its major US trial, slightly lower than the effectiveness data found earlier.
The interim analysis earlier published on Monday said the vaccine was 79 percent effective.
The latest data was based on 190 infections among more than 32,400 participants in the United States, Chile and Peru. The earlier interim data was based on 141 infections through February 17.
AstraZeneca further reiterated that the shot, developed with Oxford University, was 100 percent effective against severe or critical forms of the disease.
It also said the vaccine showed 85 percent efficacy in adults 65 years and older.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is seen as crucial in tackling the spread of COVID-19 across the globe, not just due to limited vaccine supply but also because it is easier and cheaper to transport than rival shots. It has been granted conditional marketing or emergency use authorisation in more than 70 countries.
The shot has faced questions this month, after more than a dozen countries temporarily suspended giving out the vaccine, after reports linked it to a rare blood clotting disorder in a very small number of people.
However, the European Union’s drug regulator said last week the vaccine was clearly safe.
-CHK
