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NB this was a sample of 2000, not yet peer reviewed.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

Tobee
This is what is so wrong about the Government minister mentioning this absolutely irrelevant study, it scares people.

Currently (approx)150 SA variant cases in the UK but definitely AT LEAST 15,000 UK variant today + 18,000 UK variant yesterday + 19,000 UK variant Friday etc.

AZ vaccine works on UK variant and may well work on SA variant (there is no data yet).

I am not sure if I am making sense but see how many UK variant cases there are compared to SA variant cases.

@Chatterbox1987

How can people not see how this has been spun... This story could have one of 2 headlines and both woukd be correct. One sounds very positive and the other sounds terrifying... We all know what one the media will use....

Both headlines could be

1. az vaccine only offers limited protection against mild disease.

2. az vaccine shows high levels of infection against severe or moderate disease which will help reduce hospitalisations and deaths.

The point being regaurdless of if its less effective against mild disease or not... It will most certainly help reduce deaths and hospitalisations which is all we need to happen to lift restrictions.

No, they would not both be correct, there was insufficient data to show b) one way or the other

Even the Oxford University press release has this as their headline:
ChAdOx1 nCov-19 provides minimal protection against mild-moderate COVID-19 infection from B.1.351 coronavirus variant in young South African adults.

It also then goes on to say "Efficacy against severe COVID-19 infection from this variant was not assessed. "
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-02-07-chadox1-ncov-19-provides-minimal-protection-against-mild-moderate-covid-19-infection#

@StarCat2020 as more people are vaccinated, the SA variant will have an advantage as it can escape the vaccine so will become the dominant strain.

One sounds very positive and the other sounds terrifying... We all know what one the media will use....
This story should never have been reported.

It is utterly disgusting that it is even being spun especially when the minister for vaccines is stating his "confidence".

He could be confident that unicorns exist, it doesn't make it so.

Hasn't the UK (Kent) mutation also now mutated again to look more like the SA variant too. I read somewhere there was an outbreak in Bristol?

Which is why booster vaccines are being developed. And mixing vaccines is being assessed. And trials continuing world wide.

Also, a scientist on the news was saying that the SA variants have been picked up through sampling which is only done on 5% - 10% of tests so those number are the tip of the iceberg.

@Thiscantreallybehappening

Hasn't the UK (Kent) mutation also now mutated again to look more like the SA variant too. I read somewhere there was an outbreak in Bristol?

Yes I believe so. More testing being go assess impact.

@Thiscantreallybehappening

Also, a scientist on the news was saying that the SA variants have been picked up through sampling which is only done on 5% - 10% of tests so those number are the tip of the iceberg.

Presumably they model through those numbers

We know that Johnson and Johnson works against the SA variant, and lab tests suggest that the Pfizer/Biontech is also likely to work.

What concerns me and maybe someone can explain - by the time we get a booster vaccine that works on the SA variant surely it will have mutated and there will be another variant?

This story absolutely should be reported. If the AZ vaccine is not effective against a new strain, but others are, then that should be taken into account in the vaccination programme.

Luckily, the U.K. has bought lots of different types, so worst case it slows vaccinations down, or those who got the AZ jab need a booster/top-up with another vaccine.

Yes but developers are prepared for that scenario I understand.

Sort that was to @Thiscantreallybehappening

@StarCat2020 as more people are vaccinated, the SA variant will have an advantage as it can escape the vaccine so will become the dominant strain
MAY have an advantage but there are so few cases of SA variant.

However look at how many UK variant cases we definitely have here in the UK.

Do you have a link for what you have posted above because I am really interested to see??

My parents are in their 70s and had the AZ jab last week, both still have sore throats and fluey etc

Am I right to be worried that they've had this one? I do have anxiety anyway, but we were all so pleased they were getting done and ever since it's been in the news that countries aren't approving it and it's not very effective.

Can any one offer anything to make me feel even a bit reassured please?

@Thiscantreallybehappening

What concerns me and maybe someone can explain - by the time we get a booster vaccine that works on the SA variant surely it will have mutated and there will be another variant?

Yes- it seems like we'll be constantly chasing these new variants. It takes months to manufacture vaccine doses so what if you spend say, 4 months manufacturing millions of booster doses only to start from scratch on another variant? I know I'm catastrophising with the 'what ifs' but I'm really struggling to see any way out of this nightmare at the moment.

@MabelWotsits

Try not to worry. We also have elderly relatives who have received the AZ vaccine. It works against the original variant and the first UK (Kent)variant too so it is a good vaccine. I don't think it matter what vaccine you have received, the reality is, I think that we all have to accept that we will be going back for booster jabs and that will.

Excellent that your parents do now have some protection.

This story absolutely should be reported. If the AZ vaccine is not effective against a new strain
No it should not have been reported because it is meaningless nonsense that scares people.

www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32661-1/fulltext

This is the AZ vaccine data (link above) and anything less (like today's gem of doubt) is basically "gossip".

@MabelWotsits

Try not to worry. We also have elderly relatives who have received the AZ vaccine. It works against the original variant and the first UK (Kent)variant too so it is a good vaccine. I don't think it matters what vaccine you have received, the reality is, I think that we all have to accept that we will be going back for booster jabs.

Excellent that your parents do now have some protection.

Reposted as so many errors - sorry

Also, a scientist on the news was saying that the SA variants have been picked up through sampling which is only done on 5% - 10% of tests so those number are the tip of the iceberg
OK but the 150 SA variant cases are the "tip of the iceberg" but for rough figures say there have been 15,000 cases today * 14 days = 210,000 active cases.

210,000 active cases compared to 150 cases

@Thiscantreallybehappening

Hasn't the UK (Kent) mutation also now mutated again to look more like the SA variant too. I read somewhere there was an outbreak in Bristol?

Yes this. That’s the real concern. The virus is totally out-witting the vaccine.

@StarCat2020
210,000 active cases compared to 150 cases

But there won't be just 150 SA cases will there. The 150 SA cases are the only ones picked up in the 5% - 10% of sampling so there will be more out there. Clearly, the numbers are a lot smaller than the original variant.

Yes this. That’s the real concern. The virus is totally out-witting the vaccine
Honestly it isn't.

Does anybody know when the next Covid briefing is on the BBC?

I am seriously considering asking why the Government are not explaining the mutation issue properly and instead scaring people.

I was thinking that early Jan the one changed from Boris and he almost seemed quite concerned, then all this change in vaccination spacing. I'm now wondering if they knew about the variants and the vaccines not being effective which is why they changed the second dose to 12 weeks later, perhaps hoping they would be able to tweak and offer a booster against the new variants maybe.
Maybe the longer gap will be beneficial in allowing time to tweak for the next variants