U.K. Becomes First Country to Authorize
Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine.
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom gave emergency
authorization to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the
University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. .
They are the first country to do so, although much
of the world is expected to follow suit. .
At three to four dollars a dose, the Oxford-AstraZeneca
vaccine is cheaper than other vaccines. .
It is also much easier to store, as the
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be kept at
temperatures between -112°F and -76°F.
The British government has also decided to
give a first vaccine dose to as many people as possible,
rather than holding supplies for quick second shots. .
They hope that expanding the initial number of
inoculations and lengthening the gap between
doses will curb the pandemic more quickly.
British regulators said that during the clinical trial
of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the first dose
provided partial protection against COVID-19. .
It was found to have 70 percent efficiency
against COVID-19 in the several months
between the first and second shot. .
This is very good news for the world —
it makes a global approach to a global
pandemic much easier … , Professor Stephen Evans, London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, via ‘The New York Times’.
... it will be better to get more people
some level of protection than to have all of the
people being vaccinated get full protection, Professor Stephen Evans, London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, via ‘The New York Times’