UK approves use of 2nd COVID-19 vaccine with easier storage

The United Kingdom’s Department of Health has authorized the emergency use of another COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first country to approve the vaccine developed by Oxford University and UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca. The United Kingdom purchased 100 million doses of the vaccine and intends to begin immunizations within days. Partial results from studies comprising nearly 24,000 people in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and South Africa indicate the vaccine is safe and approximately 70% effective for preventing illness from coronavirus infection. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be used in many countries because of its low cost, availability, and ease of use. It can be kept in standard refrigerators, and will be sold at $2.50 per dose. Its makers plan to manufacture up to 3 billion doses by the end of 2021. Researchers say the vaccine protected against disease in 62% of those given two full doses and in 90% of those initially given a half dose because of a manufacturing error. However, the second group included only 2,741 people, too few to be conclusive. The vaccine’s effectiveness in older adults is also unclear. Only 12% of study participants were age 55 years and older, and they were enrolled later, so there has not sufficient time to determine if they develop infections at a lower rate than those not receiving the vaccine. AstraZeneca has deals with the Serum Institute as well as vaccine makers in Brazil, South Africa, and China to manufacture the vaccine for use in developing countries.