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Published 16:45 IST, November 23rd 2020

Serum CEO Adar Poonawalla 'delighted' as Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine shows over 70% efficacy

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said on November 23 that he “delighted” to know the Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine is up to 90% effictive.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
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Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said on November 23 that he is “delighted” to know the Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed with AstraZeneca has shown efficacy up to 90 per cent. After Oxford made the announcement on Monday of its vaccine candidate being 90% and 62% efficient in two different types of dosages, making the entire efficacy over 70%, Poonawalla took to Twitter to welcome the ‘low-cost’ and easy to store vaccine. 

While more details are awaited by the end of November 23, Poonawalla has already said last week that the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine should be available for healthcare workers and elderly people by around February next year and by April for the general citizens.

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In the latest “important milestone” in world’s fight against the pandemic, Oxford University has announced on November 23 that its COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed in collaboration with AstraZeneca is 70.4% effective against the highly-infectious disease. It is both a triumph but also a matter of disappointment because Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have already declared their respective vaccine candidates to be 95% and 94% efficient against COVID-19. However, Oxford and AstraZeneca’s vaccine is reportedly far cheaper and is comparatively easier to store and transport to even remote areas of the world. 

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Oxford COVID-19 vaccine’s efficacy in two doses

Announcing the interim trial data from its Phase 3 trials, Oxford University said in a statement that its vaccine candidate ChAdOx1 nCoV-2019 has shown more than 70 per cent efficacy after the analysis included 131 COVID-19 cases. Testing in two different test regimes, the vaccine was 90% efficient in one and 62% efficient in another. According to the statement, “higher efficacy regimen used a halved first dose and standard second dose.” Easier to refrigerate, the Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine will play a significant role in tackling the global health crisis. 

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‘The announcement today takes us another step closer to the time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to the devastation caused by SARS-CoV-2. We will continue to work to provide detailed information to regulators. It has been a privilege to be part of this multi-national effort which will reap benefits for the whole world,” said the vaccine's architect Professor Sarah Gilbert.

Read - 25,000 Health Workers Identified In Meghalaya For First Batch Of COVID-19 Vaccine

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16:46 IST, November 23rd 2020