Gavi Vaccine Alliance: AstraZeneca vaccine can still prevent severe disease
The Gavi Vaccine Alliance has stressed the importance of being able to adjust to the coronavirus’s evolution.
The global health body said the AstraZeneca vaccine could still prevent severe disease, hospitalizations, and death even though is efficacy to immunize against the second strain in South Africa was much lower.
The WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) has met to review the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and to discuss the new developments.
An initial SAGE meeting on the matter produced a positive view for the continuation of the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout, including in settings where variants are circulating.
WHO’s immunization, vaccines and biologicals director doctor Kate O’Brian said: “It’s very clear that it has efficacy against severe disease, hospitalizations, and deaths. Amongst the variants and some variants, there is indication of some reduction in the efficacy, some more, some less – depending which variant and which population.”
Gavi Vaccine Alliance CEO doctor Seth Berkley warned that the more a coronavirus was allowed to spread, the more it gained momentum to mutate.
“It’s also clear the trials have to be designed and maintained to allow efficacy to be assessed over time and to be of sufficient scale and diversity to enable clear interpretations of the results.”
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus will on Tuesday meet with SAGE representatives to get recommendations on the AstraZeneca vaccine.
-EWN
In other news – This is how much actress Larona Moagi (Tumi) was allegedly being paid at The River
Mzansi star Larona Moagi’s journey on 1 Magic’s The River ended in spectacular fashion on the season finale of season 3. Her character, Tumi was killed by Lindiwe Dlamini played by Sindi Dlathu when Lindiwe shot down the helicopter Tumi was in.
Larona “Tumi’s” salary on The River has been revealed much to the surprise of many. Larona Moagi was taking home a salary that is approximately between, Learn More
