In the last days of 2020, the UK authorized the vaccine from Oxford-AstraZeneca and is awaiting its order. The objective? Vaccinate a large part of the population. This rather inexpensive vaccine has more modest storage requirements and could therefore be a boon for countries with limited means.
Since early December 2020, the UK has been using Pfizer's vaccine as part of its vaccination campaign. However, this country is also the first to have authorized the use of another vaccine full of promise , namely that of Oxford-AstraZeneca. The latter is therefore the second to have received the approval of the British health authorities. The country has ordered 100 million doses to vaccinate about 50 million people with two injections per person. The first vaccinations should begin in the coming days.
Upcoming campaign holds the attention of several countries who have already made pre-orders. For example, Australia (50 million doses) or Canada (20 million). AstraZeneca has nevertheless received orders from all over for a total of 2.5 billion doses. In the UK, people will therefore receive two doses each. As for the effectiveness of the vaccine, it was announced at 90%, then at 62% and finally at 70%.
Michael Head, global health expert at the University of Southampton (UK), spoke in an article published in The Conversation on January 5, 2020. According to the person concerned, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could be a game-changer compared to that of Pfizer. In addition, the authorization issued by the British government is very important.
First, Pfizer is struggling to reach the level of production needed to meet demand. In addition, it must be stored at very low temperatures, i.e. between -60 and -80°C . However, these requirements are a source of logistical constraints relating to storage and transport. There may then be a question of delays in its deployment across the country, like the recent blunder in Germany.
Thus, multiply the different vaccines could help meet global demand. The United Kingdom has positioned itself on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in order to ensure vaccination coverage for the vast majority of the population. However, let us mention the fact that some unknowns remain , particularly concerning its effectiveness on the elderly. There are also questions about a promise from AstraZeneca:the possibility of increasing the effectiveness of the vaccine by extending the time between the administration of the two doses.
In a government statement published on December 30, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) suggested that a single dose be given to provide 70% protection then a second twelve weeks later to reach 80%. Also, unlike the Pfizer vaccine, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine needs to be stored at around -20°C "only". So there is no need for "super-freezers" running on dry ice. Furthermore, low-income countries who usually have difficulty organizing vaccination campaigns could therefore be seduced by the advantageous characteristics of this vaccine. Finally, let's talk about the price of an injection - between 2 and 3 dollars, a very important figure for these countries.
