An expert review of data from 79 real-world studies showed that AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria (ChAdOx1-S [Recombinant]) and the available mRNA COVID-19 vaccines provide equally effective protection against hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 following two doses.1
Data from the VIEW-hub database on vaccine use and impact, developed by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the International Vaccine Access Center, was reviewed by infectious disease experts from across Asia. The study findings were reported by Expert Review of Vaccines.
The study shows that Vaxzevria and the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines offer an equivalent degree of protection against hospitalisation (91-93%) and death (91-93%), regardless of age.1 The data available at the time of review relates to the Delta SARS-Cov-2 and earlier variants, although emerging data on third dose boosting from the UK Health Security Agency and Brazil indicates similar findings on serious COVID-19 outcomes resulting from the Omicron variant.2-4
Professor Guy Thwaites, Director of the Oxford Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam and one of the study’s authors, said: “COVID-19 vaccines have been critical to help save lives and return the world to some normalcy over the past year. Our expert review shows that Vaxzevria and available mRNA vaccines provide similar, high-level protection against life-threatening COVID-19. This is important information for policymakers as they consider the optimal deployment of COVID-19 vaccines in their populations over the next 12 months.”
John L. Perez, Senior Vice President, Head of Late Development Vaccines & Immune Therapies Unit, AstraZeneca said: “Real-world data offer crucial insights into the effectiveness of vaccines, including Vaxzevria. We are pleased that these data continue to show high-levels of protection against severe clinical outcomes and further our understanding of the important role that vaccination plays in the containment of COVID-19.”
The VIEW-hub platform is updated on a weekly basis to include global real-world studies on vaccine effectiveness. The platform is not currently designed to capture the safety outcomes of these studies, preventing similar safety comparisons.
AstraZeneca and its global partners have released over three billion vaccine doses to more than 180 countries, and approximately two-thirds of these doses have been delivered to low- and lower-middle income countries. Based on model outcomes Vaxzevria is estimated to have helped save over 6 million lives between 08 December 2020 and 08 December 2021.5
Notes
Vaxzevria (ChAdOx1-S [Recombinant], formerly AZD1222)
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was invented by the University of Oxford. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.
Vaxzevria is a ‘viral vector’ vaccine, which means a version of a virus that cannot cause disease is used as part of the vaccine, leaving the body knowing how to fight it if it is exposed to the real virus later. This vaccine technology has been used by scientists over the past 40 years to fight other infectious diseases such as the flu, Zika, Ebola and HIV.6
Vaxzevria has an acceptable safety profile, according to clinical studies and real-world evidence from tens of millions of people globally.7-13 Based on the millions of people vaccinated with Vaxzevria, very common adverse reactions reported included: headache, nausea, myalgia, arthralgia, injection site tenderness, pain, warmth, pruritus, bruising, fatigue, malaise, feverishness, chills.14 The majority of adverse reactions were mild to moderate in severity and usually resolved within a few days of vaccination.14
The vaccine has been granted a conditional marketing authorisation or emergency use in more than 125 countries. It also has Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization, which accelerates the pathway to access in up to 144 countries through the COVAX Facility.
Under a sub-license agreement with AstraZeneca, the vaccine is manufactured and supplied by the Serum Institute of India under the name COVISHIELD.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.
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References
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