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But if vaccines do not work as effectively as hoped against new and emerging variants, then the world could be facing a much longer – and more expensive – battle against the virus than previously thought.
The AstraZeneca vaccine was the big hope for Africa as it is cheap and easy to store and transport. South Africa, which had hoped to roll out the shot this month, has around 1 million doses it has received from the Serum Institute of India.
The variant dominant in South Africa is circulating in at least 40 other countries, including the United States.
Austria warned against non-essential travel to its Alpine province of Tyrol because of an outbreak of the South African variant. Cases were also detected north of Paris, forcing one school to close.
VACCINE SHOCK
An analysis of infections by the South African variant showed there was only a 22% lower risk of developing mild-to-moderate COVID-19, more than 14 days after being vaccinated with the AstraZeneca shot, versus those given a placebo.
Protection against moderate-severe disease, hospitalization or death could not be assessed in the study of around 2,000 volunteers who had a median age of 31, as the target population were at such low risk.
Professor Shabir Madhi, lead investigator on the AstraZeneca trial in South Africa, said the vaccine’s similarity to another produced by Johnson & Johnson, which reduced severe disease by 85%, suggested it would still prevent serious illness or death.
Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said efforts were under way to develop a new generation of booster shot vaccines that will allow protection against emerging variants.
(Reporting by John Revill in Geneva; Additional reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton in LONDON, Alex Winning in JOHANNESBURG; editing by Giles Elgood and Jon Boyle)
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