AstraZenecas Covid-19 Vaccine Is Safe, 79% Effective in Late-Stage U.S. Trials – The Wall Street Journal

AstraZeneca PLCs Covid-19 vaccine was shown to be safe and 79% effective in preventing symptomatic disease in widely anticipated U.S. clinical trials, providing a vote of confidence for the shot and a pathway for its authorization in the U.S.

The interim trial data showed the vaccine, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford, was 80% effective in participants aged 65 and over, a group previous AstraZeneca trials lacked in large numbers. The shot was also found to be 100% effective in preventing serious illness and hospitalization across ages and ethnicities.

The company said it would continue to analyze the data and plans to request emergency authorization in the U.S. by mid-April.

If authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, the vaccine could be available in May, joining three other authorized shots in Americas accelerating vaccine drive. AstraZeneca said it will have 30 million doses available immediately in the U.S., and another 20 million doses soon after.

The shot is already widely used elsewhere. The U.S. trials provide the largest-scale clinical tests yet of the vaccine amid widespread scrutiny of its efficacy and reports of serious blood-clotting issues in a very small number of people in Europe who received the shot. The U.S. trials identified no increased risk of serious blood clotting.

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AstraZenecas Covid-19 Vaccine Is Safe, 79% Effective in Late-Stage U.S. Trials - The Wall Street Journal