Astrazeneca less effective against mild illness in SA variant

[bathsh3ba]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55967767

NB this was a sample of 2000, not yet peer reviewed.

I'm beginning to wish they wouldn't report incomplete findings so publicly. All the commentary suggests it's too early to say if this is a big problem or not - so why tell us?!

That is the problem. So much conflicting info being broadcast. Chopping and changing daily. It really shouldn't be allowed!

Just listened to a talk by an expert working on the trials and she says there is no reason to believe the Oxford vaccine will not be as effective as the J&J vaccine for preventing severe disease, however if we relax measures and people do not continue to distance etc then we will end in a bad situation with mutations etc.

I don't think the mutation message is cutting through with the public though, sadly?

Just read a very up to date article in 'Science' - sorry, I can't seem to link on my phone - which is very informative and encouraging. Explains why they think the AZ will protect as well as the J and J against hospitalisation and death in cases of the SA variant. The J and J study was a very full one it seems and included 15% SA participants. Also explains that the T cell response is likely to remain unaffected by the SA variant and how that gives rise to optimism that outcomes will still be good.

It makes sense that they would work given that most of the time mutations make the virus weaker. I wonder if its just fear deliberately being pumped to try and push people towards the vaccine more.

If today's Mumsnet is anything to go by that's not going to work. Anti vaxxers and the vaccine hesitant have been out in force. People seem to think that the news of the last 24 hours means that vaccines are not safe. Which is appallingly misinformed.

@Wherediditgo

The media have a lot to fucking answer for with their reporting on the AZ and the SA variant!! They’re totally undermining public confidence in the vaccine which could be detrimental to the whole roll out! Shame on lazy reporting and moronic journalists

I know it sounds bit conspiracy theory

Starting wonder if other vaccine makers giving back handers to certain countries government and media to undermine the Oxford az.
As we had ema approve but macron diss in France.
Think we had Ireland France Italy Germany Switzerland and Sweden say they won't use az on elderly.

I think lot depends on which vaccine did their trials.
Not sure what time the new south Africa varient appeared so did Johnson and Johnson trial old sa varient or new.
I thought they only had 66% efficiency.

Watching dr john cambell he seems south Africa wrong.
Our UK media totally irresponsible.

If there is an agenda behind all these anti AZ headline. I am pretty sure it isn't coming from our government

Whatever the truth. Today is yet another day where we haven't really learnt anything we didn't know before. The only thing that seems accurate in the headlines is the SA variant reduces vaccine effectiveness against that variant. We already saw it do that to other vaccines. So presumed the same for AZ.

Chip paper or whatever is the gadget version of that journalism

@eastegg

Just read a very up to date article in 'Science' - sorry, I can't seem to link on my phone - which is very informative and encouraging. Explains why they think the AZ will protect as well as the J and J against hospitalisation and death in cases of the SA variant. The J and J study was a very full one it seems and included 15% SA participants. Also explains that the T cell response is likely to remain unaffected by the SA variant and how that gives rise to optimism that outcomes will still be good.

This is from Reuters:

“Shabir Madhi from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg told Reuters he would begin rolling out the 1 million AstraZeneca doses already in the country immediately, since they expire in April and it would be reckless to waste them.
“It doesn’t make any sense to have 1 million doses of vaccine available to us which are known to be safe and to not start distributing it at least for high-risk groups,” Madhi said in an interview.
South African health officials said on Sunday they were putting AstraZeneca vaccinations on hold temporarily while they sought scientific advice on how to proceed. Vaccinations had been due to start soon, after the first vaccine doses arrived by plane from India last week.
The country, which has recorded the most coronavirus infections on the African continent and over 46,000 deaths, aims to vaccinate 40 million people, or two-thirds of its population to reach some level of herd immunity.
Madhi said it was likely the AstraZeneca shot would protect against severe COVID-19, since it was developed using a similar technology to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has been shown to be effective in preventing severe COVID-19.

www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-safrica-astrazenec/astrazeneca-vaccine-has-major-role-to-play-south-africa-trial-lead-says-idUSKBN2A821N?edition-redirect=uk

Shabir Madhi from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg

Now that is a sensible person

I came back to explain the SA approach. But see it has already been done 😊

Their pause made perfect sense. It wasn't a full stop, or a refusal to use the AZ vaccine. They just stopped, fact checked and then carried on.

Which is what our newspapers SHOULD have reported.

If anyone needs proof that they are trying to manipulate us, to instil a fear of vaccine, a distrust of vaccines, this is surely a good example.

EVERYONE who has posted here, in fear, distrust, anger, needs to google about the SA response.

I am just back from having my first covid vaccination. It was the AZ Oxford jab, and I am thrilled!

It was a big day out for me, as I'm CEV and been stuck in for a while.

There was brisk but extremey well organised traffic at the pharmacy. Lovely volunteers, nurses and supervising pharmacist. Big clean room, well ventilated, full mask compliance. One door in, one door out, well signed. Carers welcome.

the AZ will protect as well as the J and J against hospitalisation and death in cases of the SA variant

This is what I'm grateful for.

coviddatareview.wordpress.com/2021/02/07/should-the-uk-public-be-alarmed-by-the-news-that-the-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine-does-not-offer-protection-against-mild-moderate-covid-infections-caused-by-the-b-1-352-south-africa-variant-2/amp/?

That's a really informative, easy to read link.

Thanks 😊

@CuriousaboutSamphire

That's a really informative, easy to read link.

Thanks 😊

Yes, he does a good job of making the science easy (or easier) to understand (the author is a biological sciences lecturer): mobile.twitter.com/TheGazmanRants

Great article, thanks @CoffeeandCroissant.

This is the bit I don’t understand: The B.1.1.7 + E484K 🇬🇧 variant will only gain a selective advantage over “ordinary B.1.1.7 🇬🇧.” when a significant proportion of the population have Sterilising Immunity to “ordinary B.1.1.7 🇬🇧”

The B.1.1.7 variant was able to become the dominant strain without the majority of the UK population having immunity to the original strain. So how would this one be different?

I’m not disputing it, I just don’t understand compared to what we have seen so far. Is it to do with the relative transmissibility?

I think that's what JVT was trying to explain yesterday. So yes, I think it's a relative transmissibility thing!

I know it was stated yesterday that the SA virus did not look to be transmitting as easily so it buys time for the booster. I'm assuming that people who have had B.1.1.7 will have some immunity too.
We let B. 1.1.7 spread quickly because we did not understand the difference between this variant and now look to be attempting to manage the spread of the SA virus which I assume will become easier as cases come down and more people are vaccinated.

How do we however provide boosters each year for 50m people.

My understanding of it is that it's a combination of relative transmissibility and susceptibility of population (as vaccines wont provide sterilising immunity)?

I’m very confused. At what point did we move to an aim of total eradication?

Surely the fact it prevents serious illness is good

And variants are here to stay. As is the virus.

Surely time to accept this and open up?

I think the total eradication became a journalist thing!

SAGE had to consider it or they wouldn't be able to quantify what it would take, to be able to rule it either out or in as an end goal.

Then the Pestonalikes rode off with the idea!

Open up? Now? With all the current data?

Madness.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

I think that's what JVT was trying to explain yesterday. So yes, I think it's a relative transmissibility thing!

J VT put it in a short, easy to understand way which is a gift few have

And yet still 2 'eminent' journalists felt it important to challenge his interpretation of the science 😊

He always handles that well.