Oxford vaccine is 70 percent effective – VG

The vaccine candidate is a collaboration between the Swedish company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

More than 20,000 volunteers were involved in the study; half in the UK, half in Brazil. Among the volunteers, 30 corona-positive individuals were vaccinated twice, while 101 infected received a placebo variant.

In 70 percent of cases, the vaccine was effective in stopping the development of symptoms, according to the researchers behind the clinical study.

Previously, both Moderna and the group Pfizer and BioNtech have confirmed that their vaccines are around 95 percent effective against the virus.

However, the Oxford vaccine is much cheaper, easier to store and thus also easier to distribute around the world. It must probably be stored cold, but not at freezing temperature like the RNA vaccines of, among others, Pfizer and CureVac.

Two doses per person may be required.

The approval process for the vaccine in the EU is underway. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepts applications for vaccines on behalf of all EU / EEA countries.

Before a vaccine is approved by the EMA, neither Norway nor the other EU countries receive doses.

What we know about the vaccine candidate from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer:

Boris Johnson: “Amazing Results”

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson commented on the results on Twitter on Monday morning.

“Incredibly exciting news that the Oxford vaccine in clinical trials has proven to be effective. There are still security checks, but these are fantastic results “, Johnson writes, among other things.

On 1 October, the EU Medicines Agency EMA began to look at the research results, to assess whether the vaccine can be approved in the EU / Norway.

The EU alliance, of which Norway is a member, has pre-ordered 300 million doses, with the possibility of expanding by 100 million. The global COVAX alliance is also focusing on this vaccine. The United States has ordered at least 300 million doses.

This is also one of the vaccines the UK is focusing on.

Follow the vaccine race in VG’s corona special.