Time: The Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine Approval May Be the Most Globally Important Yet

By Michael Zennie

    The vaccine developed in the UK by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has been approved by the UK health regulators, shortly after Pfizer's. It's slightly less effective at 70% but its other features may have profound implications for the pandemic.

"It’s especially big news for the developing world because it’s cheaper and easier to handle and store. Countries from India to Brazil to South Africa have made big bets on the shot from the celebrated British university and the U.K.-Swedish drugmaker. The U.K. was the first country to allow use of the vaccine, but India is expected to follow suit within days. Trials are ongoing in the U.S. and in multiple other countries."

    Although Pfizer and Moderna will produce billions of doses combined, a few wealthy countries have already claimed much of that. AstraZeneca will be able to produce as much as the other two combined and has promised to make no profit off of a vaccine, meaning it will be much cheaper. It also uses a different technology from Pfizer and Moderna, which are the first vaccines approved that use mRNA. However, it must be stored in freezers and have short lives, while AstraZeneca's can be stored in regular refrigerator temperatures for months.

    The vaccine has not yet been approved by the US FDA or the European EMA. It has also had some questionable moments in clinical trials. At one point in the Phase III trials, one participant had an unexplained illness that was not reported until later. Also, when only half a dose was administered on accident the first time and followed by a full dose, the vaccine actually showed higher effectiveness.

"Additionally, there are very little data on how long protection for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine—or any other COVID-19 vaccine—will last. Regardless, the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab will almost surely help turn the tide against the pandemic. 'With more than 30 supply agreements and partner networks established globally, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could slow the pandemic,' she says, 'and should save many lives within the next year.'"