As emerging variants and the goal of having one-dose regimen sufficient push vaccine manufacturers to step up their game, this week has seen a new phase of the global vaccine race launched. Here are three of the current highlights.
J&J one-shot vaccine effective
Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot coronavirus vaccine appeared safe and effective in trials, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Wednesday, paving the way for emergency authorization in the US.
An advisory panel of independent experts will meet on Friday to decide whether to recommend the vaccine be authorized.
The vaccine was effective in reducing the risk of Covid-19 and preventing PCR test-confirmed Covid-19 at least 14 days after vaccination.
In a trial of more than 44,000 participants, federal regulators said the vaccine was 72 percent effective in the US, 66 percent effective in Latin America, and 57 percent effective in South Africa, where the B1351 variant is widespread. The vaccine was 85 percent effective at preventing severe cases of Covid-19.
Scientists are still studying how long the vaccine protects people against Covid-19.
Read Also: Nigeria sees herd-immunity pick up without COVID-19 vaccines
Moderna develops booster vaccine against SA variant
Moderna Inc. has completed manufacturing of clinical trial material for its variant-specific vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273.351, against the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.351 first identified in the Republic of South Africa.
Its biotechnology company has shipped doses to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a Phase 1 clinical trial that will be led and funded by the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
The Company also is providing an update on its strategy for addressing SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
“While initial data confirms that the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (mRNA-1273) provides neutralizing activity against variants of concern, out of an abundance of caution, Moderna is pursuing two strategies against these variants, subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review. First, the Company is evaluating booster doses of vaccine to increase neutralizing immunity against the variants of concern,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
EU considers vaccine passports
EU leaders from across the 27-nation bloc will meet via videoconference on Thursday to thrash out the bloc’s vaccine rollout, division over border closures and the introduction of vaccine travel certificates.
Tourist-reliant southern European nations such as Greece and Spain are urging the rapid adoption of an EU-wide certificate for travellers to show they have been vaccinated.
Austria backed the idea, arguing it would enable a restart to free travel in Europe and could help “secure and protect” struggling sectors like the arts, sports and gastronomy.
Greece has indicated it is ready to move faster than its EU peers. It has already reached a bilateral travel agreement with Israel, which has led the world with its vaccination campaign.
Other countries, such as France and Germany, have shown more reluctance, with officials saying it would create de facto vaccination obligation and could prove discriminatory.
Officials and diplomats warned on Wednesday that, although they supported a verifiable vaccination record, it was too early to examine the use of vaccine passports to permit easier travel.
