By Rodrigo Viga Gaier
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Preliminary data from a study conducted at the University of Oxford indicate that the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC is effective against the P1, or a Brazilian variant, a source with knowledge of the study, told Reuters. Friday.
The data indicate that the vaccine does not need to be modified to protect against the variant, which presumably originated in the Amazon city of Manaus, the source said, requesting anonymity as the results have not yet been released. is not.
The source did not provide the exact efficacy of the vaccine against the variant. They said the full results of the study should be announced soon, possibly in March.
Early results indicated that the AstraZeneca vaccine was significantly less effective compared to the South African variant, which is similar to P1. Subsequently, South Africa interrupted the use of the vaccine in the country.
The information comes from a plasma study published Monday before peer review (https://bit.ly/3bX3LBa) and suggested that the CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech in China is not effective against Brazilian variant will not work.
In response to a request for comment, Fiocruz, who sent the samples that form the basis of the AstraZeneca vaccine study, told Reuters he had no information about the study as it was led by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.
Representatives of AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Brazil is currently facing a brutal and prolonged second wave of coronavirus and reached a daily record of 1,910 deaths on Wednesday.
The P1 variant (also known as 20J / 501Y.V3) is one of the factors contributing to an increase in cases and deaths, according to epidemiologists, and there is concern in the scientific community about the resistance to the vaccine of the variant.