Australia urges calm over AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after South Africa suspends use

[webfact]

Australia urges calm over AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after South Africa suspends use

By Colin Packham

 

A vial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is pictured at Basingstoke Fire Station, in Basingstoke, Britain February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File Photo

 

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia on Monday moved to reassure its citizens over the efficacy of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after South Africa suspended use of the shot because data showed it offered limited protection against a new strain of the virus.

 

Citing data that showed the AstraZeneca vaccine reduced mild-to-moderate COVID-19 by 22%, South Africa said on Sunday it would put on hold the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

 

But Australia's Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, said the vaccine is effective in its primary objective.

 

"There is currently no evidence to indicate a reduction in the effectiveness of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines in preventing severe disease and death. That is the fundamental task, to protect the health," Hunt told reporters in Canberra.

 

Australia is expected approve the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine within days. Last month, it approved the use of the Pfizer -BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, although it has secured enough doses for less than half of its population and orders remain delayed.

 

Australia is expected to begin using the Pfizer vaccine later this month though Canberra's hopes for a complete inoculation programme rests with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

 

The country has ordered 53 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the vast majority of which will be manufactured locally by CSL Ltd.

Australia, however, is under less pressure to begin COVID-19 inoculations after successfully suppressing the spread of virus.

 

On Monday, just one new local case of COVID-19 was reported.

 

Australia has had just over 28,800 cases in the past year and 909 deaths.

 

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-08

 

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[Mike Rodik]

so who came up with the data ?

[foreverlomsak]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

South Africa suspended use of the shot because data showed it offered limited protection against a new strain of the virus.

The virus appears to be continually mutating, therefore a single vaccine will probably never be able to cover all strains of the virus.

Does this mean injections of multiple vaccines to cover all strains and to meet the requirements of different countries, e.g. we used vaccine A in our country, those that wish to come visit need to show they have been inoculated with vaccine A and not vaccine B.

Can we actually have multiple vaccines injected.

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, foreverlomsak said:

The virus appears to be continually mutating, therefore a single vaccine will probably never be able to cover all strains of the virus.

Does this mean injections of multiple vaccines to cover all strains and to meet the requirements of different countries, e.g. we used vaccine A in our country, those that wish to come visit need to show they have been inoculated with vaccine A and not vaccine B.

Can we actually have multiple vaccines injected.

 

I think what it means is if you get a covid shot with the Chinese or AZ vaccine, it's probably useless at this point, with the South African mutation. In the future, it will also be easier to adjust to mutations with the mRNA vaccines than the others.

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, foreverlomsak said:

Does this mean injections of multiple vaccines to cover all strains and to meet the requirements of different countries

It means the whole idea of 'vaccine passports' will never work.

[vandeventer]

These vaccines either work or don't work, there is no in-between. What's the point of getting something that works a little or not at all for your age group?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[simple1]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

These vaccines either work or don't work, there is no in-between. What's the point of getting something that works a little or not at all for your age group?

 

From the OP:

 

Australia's Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, said the vaccine is effective in its primary objective.

 

"There is currently no evidence to indicate a reduction in the effectiveness of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines in preventing severe disease and death. 

 

 

[mrfill]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

These vaccines either work or don't work, there is no in-between. What's the point of getting something that works a little or not at all for your age group?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we must abandon all vaccines for anything that are not 100% effective?

 

Do you know of any vaccine for anything that is 100% effective? I'll give you a clue - the answer is no...

[digger70]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Australia urges calm over AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after South Africa suspends use

All this means that there's No vaccine proven to be Any good to cover  all people from different countries as there are a few different strains of the covid virus. It may take years to get a vaccine that Works for the whole range or maybe  they can't find one .

[natway09]

It is Sth Africa.

Some countries require the brown envelope with the packing list, some don't.

[phantomfiddler]

3 hours ago, vandeventer said:

These vaccines either work or don't work, there is no in-between. What's the point of getting something that works a little or not at all for your age group?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No in between ? So either one is good looking or ugly ? Brilliant or thick as a brick ? There will always be an in - between ????

[simple1]

11 hours ago, digger70 said:

All this means that there's No vaccine proven to be Any good to cover  all people from different countries as there are a few different strains of the covid virus. It may take years to get a vaccine that Works for the whole range or maybe  they can't find one .

 

Flu virus mutates every year which requires an update injection every year for those most at risk. For those countries that fund the process WHO has identified it saves approx two million lives a year. it's possible the same scheme might apply with Covid 19 mutations.

[Paul Henry]

Reading all of the replies indicate to me there are a lot of self proclaimed experts having their say. Suggest everyone read the current technical updates available. This will put a lot of the gobbledegook being sprouted to bed.