The Oxford university said an ongoing assessment of the vaccine’s effectiveness showed that it has “similar efficacy” to other coronavirus strains, according to a preliminary trial.
The university, which developed the jab with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm, said an ongoing assessment of its effectiveness showed that it has “similar efficacy” to other coronavirus strains, according to a preliminary trial. The analysis, which relied on samples taken between October and mid-January, also indicated the shot reduces “duration of shedding and viral load”, which may translate into reduced virus transmission, the university said.
The variant first identified in Kent, southern England, is more easily transmissible, prompting many countries to restrict travel to the UK.That lockdown came as the UK started rolling out the AstraZeneca vaccine. More than 10 million people have received a first dose of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer’s shot.