Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine shows over 70% efficacy as India looks to give emergency use nod

In latest “important milestone” in world’s fight against pandemic, Oxford University has anunced on vember 23 that its COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed in collaboration with AstraZeneca is 70.4% effective against highly-infectious disease. It is both a triumph but also a matter of disappointment because Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have alrey declared ir 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 world. 

Anuncing interim trial data from its Phase 3 trials, Oxford University said in a statement that its vaccine candidate ChOx1 nCoV-2019 has shown more than 70 per cent efficacy after analysis included 131 COVID-19 cases. Testing in two different test regimes, vaccine was 90% efficient in one and 62% efficient in ar. According to statement, “higher efficacy regimen used a halved first dose and standard second dose.” Easier to refrigerate, Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine will play a significant role in tackling global health crisis. 

‘ anuncement today takes us ar step closer to time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to 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 whole world,” said vaccine's architect Professor Sarah Gilbert.

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What does this mean for India?

Oxford University’s anuncement came after NITI Aayog member and chairman of National Expert Group on Vaccine ministration Dr Vid Paul reportedly said that India may grant Pune’s Serum Institute of India (SII) with emergency use authorisation of Oxford and AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine following UK d. British government has alrey pre-ordered 100 million doses of same vaccine with a target to immunise 50 million people. promising results of Oxford-AstraZeneca have pushed it closer to emergency use authorisation in UK which is likely to give India an opportunity to consider same. 

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