China News Service, February 8, According to Reuters, South Africa will suspend the use of AstraZeneca's new crown vaccine in the new crown vaccination plan.
According to previous research data, AstraZeneca's new crown vaccine has "limited" protection for people with mild to moderate infections of the mutant new crown virus found in South Africa.
Data map: The picture shows a pharmacy in South Africa, staff are sorting disinfection supplies.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Xi
According to reports, South Africa’s Minister of Health Mukez said on the 7th that the government will wait for scientists to make suggestions on how to better advance the vaccination plan.
The British "Financial Times" said on the 6th that a joint study by South Africa's Kingsoft University and the University of Oxford showed that the mutant new coronavirus originally discovered in South Africa "seriously weakened" the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
An AstraZeneca spokesperson said: "In this small phase I and II trial, preliminary data shows that the vaccine has limited protection for patients with mild new coronary disease. The main reason is the B.1.351 mutant strain in South Africa (the first discovered)."
According to reports, 2026 people participated in this study, half of whom participated in the control group.
The median age of the subjects was 31 years old, and no subjects were admitted to the hospital or died.
An AstraZeneca spokesperson said: "Considering that the subjects are mainly healthy young adults, we are still not sure about its (vaccine) effect on serious diseases and hospitalization."