South Africa’s vaccine rollout has been halted, following trial results that show the AstraZeneca vaccine to have limited efficacy against the 501.v2 strain.  As a result, the SA government plans to acquire a further 20 million doses from Johnson and Johnson, whose shot has shown more efficacy against the new strain. AstraZeneca is currently working on adapting the vaccine âto deal specifically with the South African variantâ. Professor Shabir Madhi believes that the South African government should still use the shot. ‘If South Africa becomes reckless in terms of the manner in which it deals with the AstraZeneca vaccine, itâs going to have global repercussions. The AstraZeneca vaccine is the cheapest vaccine thatâs going to be available to lower and middle income countries.’ The WHO has also expressed their support for the vaccine, stating that it is still useful in places like South Africa, where the variant is more common – Jarryd Neves
AstraZeneca study lead tells South Africa not to be reckless
(Bloomberg) –Â The lead researcher of the South African trial of AstraZeneca Plcâs coronavirus vaccine urged authorities in the country to continue using the shot to cut death and hospitalisation rates and the chance of further virus mutations.
Early data of a small phase trial published Sunday showed that AstraZenecaâs vaccine has limited efficacy against mild disease caused by the B.1.351 variant thatâs now dominant in South Africa, prompting the government to suspend plans to give it to health workers. The study didnât determine whether it protects against severe Covid-19 cases and deaths because most participants were âyoung healthy adults,â according to the company.
Still, the shot thatâs been purchased by many African countries has a high likelihood of preventing severe disease and shouldnât be discarded, Shabir Madhi said in a webinar hosted by the Daily Maverick news site on Tuesday. The World Health Organization has advocated continued use of the vaccine.
âIf South Africa becomes reckless in terms of the manner in which it deals with the AstraZeneca vaccine, itâs going to have global repercussions,â Madhi said. âThe AstraZeneca vaccine is the cheapest vaccine thatâs going to be available to lower and middle income countries.â
AstraZeneca has pledged significant supplies to Covax, an initiative designed to distribute vaccines equitably across the globe.
âThe toss up is going to be between no vaccine or a vaccine thatâs got a high likelihood of preventing severe disease and death,â Madhi said. South Africa should give the shot to people at high risk of severe disease, hospitalization or death because of their age or medical conditions, he said.
30% infection
New variants – including those found in South Africa and Brazil – were probably caused by large infection rates at the beginning of the pandemic, according to Madhi, whoâs also a professor of vaccinology at the University of The Witswatersrand in Johannesburg. As many people became naturally immune due to earlier infections, the virus mutated to survive. In South Africa, as many as 30% of adults may have been infected during the first wave of Covid-19, he said.
Thatâs why vaccination campaigns should be rolled out as quickly as possible, even as attaining so-called herd immunity will be difficult, he said.
âWhen it comes to vaccines, we are probably going to face the same scenario when there is a sluggish roll out,â he said. âWhat we are trying to achieve is a targeted approach in terms of protecting lives and preventing our health care facilities from becoming overburdened.â
- AstraZeneca Covid-19 shot is still worth using â WHO
- New AstraZeneca vaccine in the works to fight SA-discovered â501.v2â variant
- AstraZeneca vaccine has âlimited efficacyâ against SA variant, rollout halted locally