British drugmaker AstraZeneca AZN.L said on Saturday its vaccine developed with the University of Oxford appeared to offer only limited protection against mild disease caused by the South African variant of COVID – 19 , based on early data from a trial .
The study from South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand and Oxford University showed the vaccine had significantly reduced efficacy against the South African variant , according to a Financial Times report published earlier in the day .
Among coronavirus variants currently most concerning for scientists and public health experts are the so – called British , South African and Brazilian variants , which appear to spread more swiftly than others.
“Oxford University and AstraZeneca have started adapting the vaccine against this variant and will advance rapidly through clinical development so that it is ready for Autumn delivery should it be needed,” the AstraZeneca spokesman said.
On Friday Oxford said their vaccine has similar efficacy against the British coronavirus variant as it does to the previously circulating variants.
Reuters
WhatsApp us