AstraZeneca announced on Monday, November 23 that its candidate vaccine against Covid-19, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, had an effectiveness rate of 70% on average, according to preliminary results of a trial phase III clinic.

In detail, the efficiency rises to 90% for a first sample of people, who received a half-dose, then a dose a month later.

It goes down to 62% for another group who received two doses in all one month apart.

The pharmaceutical group does not give further details to explain this difference in effectiveness.

With an efficiency of 70% on average, it is however for the moment less convincing than that of Pfizer / BioNTech or Moderna, whose efficiency exceeds 90%.

Today we announced high-level results from the AstraZeneca @UniofOxford # COVID19 vaccine clinical trials.

https://t.co/eTz7cdY4hN pic.twitter.com/d6Wzo11Ftr

- AstraZeneca (@AstraZeneca) November 23, 2020

But it uses more traditional technology than these two competitors, which makes it less expensive and easier to store since it does not need to be kept at very low temperatures.

The effectiveness of these vaccines, developed in record time, is raising high hopes around the world, as many populations, especially in the United States and Europe, are facing a second wave of the virus.

And the restrictions and re-restrictions in place are weighing heavily on economies, with an explosion in unemployment and bankruptcies.

The first vaccines against Covid-19 could begin to be distributed as early as December in the United States and the European Union if they quickly obtain the green light from the health authorities concerned.

The leaders of the G20, for their part, promised on Sunday to "stop at any effort" to guarantee equitable access to vaccines against Covid-19.

"Highly efficient"

AstraZeneca said in the statement that its vaccine is "highly effective" in preventing the disease, noting that no participant in the trials developed severe forms or had to be hospitalized.

Preliminary results relate to trials involving more than 20,000 people, 131 of whom have contracted the disease.

In total, large-scale so-called phase III clinical trials involve 60,000 people worldwide, and are being conducted in the United States, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Kenya and Latin America.

The British laboratory specifies that it will submit its results very quickly to the authorities in order to obtain a first green light.

Thanks to a "simple supply chain", the vaccine "will be accessible and available throughout the world," said Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, quoted in the press release.

AstraZeneca says it is advancing rapidly with the planned manufacture of 3 billion doses, which will be available in 2021.

British Minister of Health Matt Hancock said he was "very happy" on Sky News for the news described as "encouraging", as the United Kingdom is the most bereaved country in Europe by the disease, with more than 55,000 deaths.

Minister for Business Alok Sharma said on his Twitter account that a "huge scientific breakthrough" was within reach.

He recalls that the country has already secured 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine, in addition to the 255 million doses obtained from other laboratories.

Fantastic news that the #Oxfordvaccine has proved so effective in trials.

The Government has secured 100 million doses of this vaccine candidate for the UK.



There are still safety checks to go, but this is an important milestone in the search for a # COVID19 vaccine.

https://t.co/rhCwW9KSuL

- Alok Sharma (@AlokSharma_RDG) November 23, 2020

With AFP and Reuters

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