The Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine will go through another global trial, according to CEO Pascal Soriot. The program had originally been planning to add a subdivision to its existing US trial, however, has decided to re-enter global testing amid criticism over the data to date. The organization has claimed that the vaccine has a 90% effectiveness rate, emerging as the third vaccine candidate reporting positive results. This vaccine is cheaper, and unlike its counterparts can be stored at fridge temperature.
The claim that the vaccine has a 90% effectiveness rate was questioned by experts as the vaccine only had a rate of 62 to 70% in its Brazil and Uk trials. The 90% figure occurred as 3,000 participants were accidentally given a lower dosage of the vaccine. AstraZeneca will launch another trial, using just the lower-dose regimen. Another major concern that emerged recently is that the organization did not administer the low dose to any participants over the age of 55, and the new trial will focus more on the vaccine efficacy in older populations.
Read More: The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will be tested in a new trial after questions over its data