Original article from PBS , 2021
In the largest COVID vaccine trial yet, AstraZeneca’s vaccine was 79 percent effective in preventing symptomatic infections, the company announced Monday. AstraZeneca’s vaccine has also been shown to be extremely effective at preventing the most serious outcomes from COVID-19, the company said. William Brangham discusses the latest inoculation news with Boston University’s Dr. Nahid Bhadelia.
Judy Woodruff:
AstraZeneca announced today that their vaccine is not only safe, but extremely effective at preventing the most serious outcomes from COVID-19.
In the largest COVID vaccine trial yet, AstraZeneca’s was 79 percent effective in preventing symptomatic infections. The company will soon seek approval in the u.s
And, as William Brangham tells us, the question now is where it fits into the overall distribution plan in the U.S. and internationally.
William Brangham:
That’s right, Judy. We haven’t seen the raw data yet, just what the company has put out.
But AstraZeneca’s latest trial included 32,000 people, and it prevented both hospitalizations and deaths. And this is important because this vaccine is a crucial part of the international effort to distribute shots to less wealthy countries.
Dr. Nahid Bhadelia is the medical director of the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston Medical Center and an associate professor of infectious diseases at Boston University School of Medicine.
Dr. Bhadelia, great to have you back on the “NewsHour.”
Do you share the judgment that this is another piece of very good news, that we now have a fourth vaccine that has proven quite effective against COVID-19?
Dr. Nahid Bhadelia:
I do, William.
If the FDA’s evaluation holds up the data that we’re seeing today, it’s good news because it adds a fourth candidate to the U.S. fight at a time that we’re rushing to cover our population with immunity, but it’s been called the vaccine for the world, because, as you said, it is making up the lion’s share of vaccines distributed by COVAX, the WHO’s utility to try to get the vaccines out to the most of the rest of the world.
They — it happens to be about $2 to $3 per dose. It can be refrigerated at regular refrigerators — freezers — sorry — refrigerators for about six months, ability to get out to most sort of isolated parts of the world.
And for all those reasons and the fact that it serves as another data point showing efficacy and safety, this is a big plus for global health and it’s a big plus for U.S. health as well.
