U.S. trial finds AstraZeneca vaccine 79% effective with no serious side effects
22 March 2021
The coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford was found to be 79% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 100% effective against severe disease and hospitalization, according to results from its Phase III trial in the U.S. announced Monday.
Why it matters: The long-awaited U.S. data, which showed no serious side effects among the more than 20,000 participants who received at least one dose, could bolster global confidence in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
The big picture: The shot has already been authorized by the World Health Organization and more than 50 countries, and has played a key rollout in the U.K.'s world-leading vaccine rollout.
- It has not yet received authorization from the U.S. FDA, however, after questions emerged in early trial results when some participants mistakenly received only a half dose for their first shot.
- Dozens of European countries temporarily suspended use of the vaccine last week following reports that a small number of patients who received the shot experienced rare blood clots.
- The European Medical Agency later confirmed the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks, and the U.S. data published Monday found no increased risk of blood clots among participants who received the shot.
Between the lines: The U.S. has already secured enough vaccine doses for every American, even without regulatory clearance for the AstraZeneca shot. On Thursday, President Biden agreed to send around 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada and 2.5 million to Mexico, amid growing pressure for the U.S. to share its massive supply with the world.
What they're saying:
“These findings reconfirm previous results observed in AZD1222 trials across all adult populations but it’s exciting to see similar efficacy results in people over 65 for the first time. This analysis validates the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as a much-needed additional vaccination option, offering confidence that adults of all ages can benefit from protection against the virus.”
Ann Falsey, co-lead principal investigator for U.S. trial
What's next: AstraZeneca will submit its data to the FDA for an emergency use authorization in the coming weeks.
Go deeper: Why the AstraZeneca vaccine matters for the developing world
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.