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Original poster

US trial of AZ vaccine confirms its safety

45 replies

Circumlocutious · 22/03/2021 07:26

Results from the long-awaited US trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine are out and confirm that the shot is both safe and highly effective.

More than 32,000 volunteers took part, mostly in America, but also in Chile and Peru.

The vaccine was 79% effective against stopping symptomatic Covid disease and 100% effective at preventing people from falling seriously ill.

And there were no safety issues regarding blood clots.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56479462

Great news :)

OP posts:
ThatsNotTheTeaHunty · 22/03/2021 07:27

This is great news! I'm sure somewhere will still bash it though!

ssd · 22/03/2021 07:28

Fab

minchinfin · 22/03/2021 07:29

Fantastic news. Im not surprised. Really pleased I was lucky enough to have it. Would just like to get that in before all the organised anti vaxxers turn up (why do they do it?)

minchinfin · 22/03/2021 07:31

if I hear one more person Let play bingo the phrases "it's too sooooooooon" "we don't know if it prevens transmission" (of course we bloody do) "my friend is in hospital with blood clots" what else?

ssd · 22/03/2021 07:32

It did say the doses were given 4 weeks apart though in the US trials, isn't it 12 weeks depart here?

minchinfin · 22/03/2021 07:35

the date I've been given is 11 weeks after first dose. Would be good to see data on what that does to the 79% protection rates. Even if it's slightly under that, that's still impressive. flu vaccines are much lower efficacy that that.

justanotherneighinparadise · 22/03/2021 07:37

God hasn’t the smear campaign been so bloody dangerous 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Original poster
Circumlocutious · 22/03/2021 07:39

@justanotherneighinparadise

God hasn’t the smear campaign been so bloody dangerous 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️
61% of French, 50% of Germans, and 43% of Italians all think the vaccine is unsafe.

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-astrazeneca-idUSKBN2BE00D?utm_source=reddit.com

OP posts:
bobbiester · 22/03/2021 07:40

20% of the participants were over 65. Hope Macron will change his tune now.

OliveTree75 · 22/03/2021 07:41

Just brilliant

BigGreen · 22/03/2021 07:41

I'm the biggest Europhile out and I think their behaviour has been disgraceful. Let's hope this study puts vaccine hesitancy to bed finally.

Sansaplans · 22/03/2021 07:43

@justanotherneighinparadise

God hasn’t the smear campaign been so bloody dangerous 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️
Yes, I really feel for the citizens there as they are the ones who are missing out aren't they
Original poster
Circumlocutious · 22/03/2021 07:44

@minchinfin

the date I've been given is 11 weeks after first dose. Would be good to see data on what that does to the 79% protection rates. Even if it's slightly under that, that's still impressive. flu vaccines are much lower efficacy that that.
There’s data from the UK trials to suggest that 12 weeks is actually an optimal dosing interval, and that efficacy continues to rise to 82% up to that point. Will try to find it.
OP posts:
ssd · 22/03/2021 07:56

I wonder if they are now working on how long the efficacy from the vaccine lasts?

I haven't heard much about that.

I can imagine once all adults are vaccinated everyone will feel safer...but for how long is the problem.

EasterIssland · 22/03/2021 07:58

That’s really good news. Hope they get it approved soon!

notimagain · 22/03/2021 08:23

@bobbiester

20% of the participants were over 65. Hope Macron will change his tune now.
Hmm

As somebody rightly said upthread: "and so the smear campaign continues"

From Reuters, 25 Feb(i.e. a month back)

"French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he would gladly accept being inoculated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine if it were offered when his turn comes.

“In view of the latest scientific studies, the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been proven,”

www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-summit-macron-idUSKBN2AP2TM

You'd need to ask the medical regulators in France and elsewhere about their decision to not yet approve AZ for the under 25s or apply other restrictions.

Original poster
Circumlocutious · 22/03/2021 08:37

Hasn’t France now restricted its usage to the over 55s?

OP posts:
CuriousaboutSamphire · 22/03/2021 08:47

@ssd

It did say the doses were given 4 weeks apart though in the US trials, isn't it 12 weeks depart here?
The shorter timescale has been used forever but not for any clinical reasons, just that it is convenient for a trial. Nobody has ever needed to lengthen the gap before getting initial certification for use.

The longer timescale may well become gold standard after all this is over. Or at least there would be a 2- cohort delay stage.

And I think they had an 11 week gap!?

CuriousaboutSamphire · 22/03/2021 08:50

@ssd

I wonder if they are now working on how long the efficacy from the vaccine lasts?

I haven't heard much about that.

I can imagine once all adults are vaccinated everyone will feel safer...but for how long is the problem.

Remember this is all being done in real time. All sorts of data collection and analysis is ongoing, that being one of the reasons anti vaxxers insist this is experimental. That ignores the reality of the usual procedures, extant data etc.

But no matter, we can't get real life data about 6 month, a year's efficacy until 6 months, a year have passed.

Until then good enough is good enough. So far efficacy rates are higher than many other common meds!

AlexaShutUp · 22/03/2021 08:51

Great news!

DH had the AZ vaccine recently. Just waiting for mine now...hopefully not too long!

Wbeezer · 22/03/2021 08:54

I'm getting mine today, feeling confident about it.

bumbleymummy · 22/03/2021 08:54

@minchinfin

the date I've been given is 11 weeks after first dose. Would be good to see data on what that does to the 79% protection rates. Even if it's slightly under that, that's still impressive. flu vaccines are much lower efficacy that that.
As a PP mentioned, the longer gap between doses actually increases efficacy:

www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n326

“ The study found vaccine efficacy reached 82.4% after a second dose in those with a dosing interval of 12 weeks or more (95% confidence interval 62.7% to 91.7%). If the two doses were given less than six weeks apart the efficacy was only 54.9% (CI 32.7% to 69.7%).”

79% is actually quite high.

notimagain · 22/03/2021 08:55

@Circumlocutious

Hasn’t France now restricted its usage to the over 55s?
It has, national decision made by the regulators ...AFAIK some other countries still have restrictions in place.

The really really sad thing about all this this morning is that a thread highlighting undeniably good news from the States gets diverted, quick as a flash, into the standard whinge about a single comment Mr Macron made at the end of January..it's a squirrel the size of Godzilla..

It's almost as if people are working to a playbook or on instructions from central office, rather pausing to celebrate good news when they hear it.

almost two months ago...plenty of

notimagain · 22/03/2021 08:56

Sorry about the orphan last line...

minchinfin · 22/03/2021 08:59

Great news that 12 weeks increases the efficacy - that always seemed more logical to me that you would want to give the first dose time to get maximal effect of antibody production - I never understood the drama when they increased it.