Smarter News Now
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact Us
  • Email Whitelisting
No Result
View All Result
  • Top News
  • Economy News
  • Forex News
  • Investing News
  • Stock News
  • Politics News
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Top News
  • Economy News
  • Forex News
  • Investing News
  • Stock News
  • Politics News
  • Editor’s Pick
No Result
View All Result
Smarter News Now
No Result
View All Result
Home Investing News

AstraZeneca nixes variant-specific COVID vaccines, eyes annual shots 

by
August 9, 2022
in Investing News
0
AstraZeneca nixes variant-specific COVID vaccines, eyes annual shots 
0
SHARES
8
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

There is little value in developing vaccines that target specific coronavirus variants, according to Bruce Mungall, Asia area medical director of vaccines and infectious diseases at AstraZeneca, a multinational pharmaceutical company.  

“In terms of whether there’s value in chasing a new updated vaccine for a specific variant, I think there’s very limited incremental value in doing that,” he said. “I’m relatively confident that the current vaccines will continue to provide very high levels of protection against serious outcomes.” 

Unlike Pfizer and BioNTech, which announced this June that they were evaluating Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine candidates, AstraZeneca hopes to move to “more sustainable approaches” such as annual shots, Mr. Mungall said at a roundtable discussion on Aug. 5.  

He pointed out that on the logistics side, manufacturing millions of variant-specific doses is a “very difficult and time-consuming process,” in light of how quickly the Omicron coronavirus subvariant spreads.   

“To do that fast enough to react to a new variant is very challenging and expensive,” he said. “Every time a company gives you a new vaccine, I can guarantee you: it’s not going to be cheaper than the previous [one]. You’re going to pay an incremental cost every time there’s a new vaccine.”  

Mr. Mungall said that current vaccines are effective in preventing hospitalization and death.  

On Monday, the Department of Health (DoH) reported that there were 27,331 additional COVID-19 cases from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7, a 13% increase from a week before.  

A 2022 study in Thailand that assessed the effectiveness of a mixed (heterologous) four-dose COVID-19 vaccine schedule found that a fourth dose of any of the COVID-19 vaccines studied, including AstraZeneca’s, were 75% effective in preventing Omicron infection.  

The vaccine effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine (73%) was similar to that of mRNA vaccines (71%).  

“In Thailand, they use different vaccines for their third and fourth doses,” Mr. Mungall said. “The broader message is that any vaccine you have available for boosters is good for you.”  

Across the age groups studied, data showed that a three-dose mixed schedule provided 98% protection against severe infection or COVID-19-related death.  

A single death in a person with comorbidities was observed following a fourth dose booster, according to a preprint published June 28 in Research Square.  

Meanwhile, researchers at Airfinity, a London-based predictive health analytics firm, took the Imperial College London’s research on deaths averted per country, and examined which vaccines were administered in each of these countries.  

Using this methodology, it reported in July that AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech saved 6.3 million and 5.9 million lives, respectively. Sinovac, furthermore, saved 2 million lives; Moderna, 1.7 million lives.  

More than 71 million individuals, or 92.06% of the target population in the Philippines, have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Aug. 7. Over 16 million individuals have had their booster shots.  

In an Omicron world, a third dose is probably necessary, Mr. Mungall said.  

“A booster dose will probably be necessary — either a third or a fourth — depending on your risk status,” he said. “There is a very similar effectiveness of all vaccines as booster doses.” — Patricia B. Mirasol 

ShareTweetPin

Related Posts

Stocks decline on profit taking, recession fears
Investing News

Stocks decline on profit taking, recession fears

August 23, 2022
Peso climbs vs dollar as RTB offer starts
Investing News

Peso climbs vs dollar as RTB offer starts

August 23, 2022
PNR cancels bids for 3 projects after finding them ‘non-feasible’
Investing News

PNR cancels bids for 3 projects after finding them ‘non-feasible’

August 23, 2022
Senate grills Rodriguez on approval procedures for sugar import order
Investing News

Senate grills Rodriguez on approval procedures for sugar import order

August 23, 2022
Trade dep’t expecting sugar price monitoring report by Friday
Investing News

Trade dep’t expecting sugar price monitoring report by Friday

August 23, 2022
Fisherfolk seek halt to reclamation on municipal fisheries
Investing News

Fisherfolk seek halt to reclamation on municipal fisheries

August 23, 2022
Next Post
Prosecutor clears Okada of false documents charges

Prosecutor clears Okada of false documents charges

Get the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.
Email Address *
Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!
 

Recommended

Gilas Pilipinas off to Beirut for game vs Lebanon in World Cup Asian Qualifiers

Gilas Pilipinas off to Beirut for game vs Lebanon in World Cup Asian Qualifiers

August 22, 2022
Dominguez wants ADB to take the lead on ASEAN-specific climate action program

Dominguez wants ADB to take the lead on ASEAN-specific climate action program

June 12, 2022
Discounts and low down payment in ‘5-tastic Suzuki Deals’

Discounts and low down payment in ‘5-tastic Suzuki Deals’

August 7, 2022
West could trigger nuclear war over Ukraine — Russia

West could trigger nuclear war over Ukraine — Russia

August 3, 2022
Prisma selects AG Grid to create a customisable library of data for its users

Prisma selects AG Grid to create a customisable library of data for its users

June 29, 2022
The Big 10: Investment and Asset Management Firms in UAE

The Big 10: Investment and Asset Management Firms in UAE

August 4, 2022
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact Us
  • Email Whitelisting

Copyright © 2022 SmarterNewsNow.
All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: SmarterNewsNow.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice.
The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Email Whitelisting
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Thank You

Copyright © 2020 SmarterNewsNow. All Rights Reserved.