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Updated January 26th, 2021 at 16:13 IST

AstraZeneca trashes reports of only 8% COVID-19 vaccine efficacy in elderly

AstraZeneca said,” In November, we published data in The Lancet demonstrating that older adults showed strong immune responses to the AZD1222 vaccine."

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
AstraZeneca
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Citing positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of its vaccine AZD1222, AstraZeneca on January 25 trashed reports claiming that the pharmaceutical firm is ‘unsure’ about its product’s efficacy among elderly over the age of 65. German daily Handelsblatt reported that the country’s government had calculated Oxford co-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine to provide only 8 per cent immune response among those that were older than 65. However, in an official statement Monday, AstraZeneca said, “Reports that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine efficacy is as low as 8% in adults over 65 years are completely incorrect.” 

Debunking the reports of low efficacy, AstraZeneca said, ”In November, we published data in The Lancet demonstrating that older adults showed strong immune responses to the vaccine, with 100 percent of older adults generating spike-specific antibodies after the second dose.” Following its clinical trials, the pharmaceutical giant had declared its vaccine AZD1222 efficacy to be 90 percent when administered as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least one month apart, and another dosing regimen showed 62 percent efficacy when given as two full doses at least one month apart. The company cited the average efficacy of its vaccine to be 70 percent, adding that an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board determined that the vaccine analysis met its primary endpoint showing protection. 

Read: EU Warns Of Blocking COVID-19 Vaccine Export Amid 'surprising' Shortfall By AstraZeneca

Read: EU Pressures AstraZeneca To Deliver Vaccines As Promised

Phone call to AstraZeneca's CEO

Earlier, European Union (EU) lashed out at the pharmaceutical to deliver more coronavirus vaccine doses to its 27 nations bloc, following the critical shortfall of the vials. EU's executive Commission spurred into action as President Ursula von der Leyen's made a phone call to AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot asking the firm to adhere to the contractual arrangements “foreseen in the advance purchasing agreement.” the delay, according to European press reports, will hamper the EU's planned goals of vaccinating 70 percent of the adult population by June, 2021. 

"She reminded Mr Soriot that the EU has invested significant amounts in the company up front precisely to ensure that production is ramped up even before the conditional market authorization is delivered by the European Medicines Agency," Mamer said at a news briefing in Brussels.

Read: First Person In Brazil Gets AstraZeneca Vaccine

Read: EU Pressuring AstraZeneca For More Vaccine Doses

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Published January 26th, 2021 at 16:15 IST

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