The updated figures show the AstraZeneca vaccine remains effective enough to meet the FDA’s standards for effectiveness.The coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca was 76% effective at preventing symptomatic illness, the pharmaceutical company released updated information, citing a new analysis of up-to-date results for its major US trial.
“The primary analysis is consistent with our previously released interim analysis, and confirms that our Covid-19 vaccine is highly effective in adults, including those aged 65 years and over,” said Mene Pangalos, the company’s executive vice president of BioPharmaceuticals research and development. “We look forward to filing our regulatory submission for Emergency Use Authorization in the US and preparing for the rollout of millions of doses across America.”
On Monday, the drugmaker, released an interim data from a 32,000-person trial conducted in the US, Chile and Peru this winter.
American health officials had publicly rebuked the company for using “outdated information” when calculating that the vaccine was 79% effective.
The latest trial data, which has yet to be reviewed by independent researchers or regulators, was based on 190 infections and 32,449 participants in the United States, Chile and Peru. The earlier interim data was based on 141 infections through 17 February.
This month, 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.
The European Union’s drug regulator said last week the vaccine was clearly safe, but Europeans remain sceptical about its safety.
