Oxford scientists are preparing to rapidly produce new versions of their vaccine to combat emerging more contagious Covid-19 variants discovered in the UK, South Africa and Brazil, The Telegraph reported.
China’s Sinovac Biotech defended the safety and efficacy of the company’s experimental Covid-19 vaccine, after researchers in Brazil released late-stage clinical data showing efficacy that was much lower than initially announced.
The Covid-19 vaccine developed by British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University will likely be authorized for emergency use in the United States in April 2021, the chief adviser for the U.S. Covid-19 vaccine program said.
Global coronavirus infections surpassed the 75 million mark on Dec. 19, according to a Reuters tally, as several nations around the world begin vaccinating against the virus.
AstraZeneca Plc will likely get results of the company’s U.S. Covid-19 vaccine trial in late January 2021 and could potentially file for an emergency authorization, the chief adviser for the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed program said.
The global tally of confirmed coronavirus cases hit 60 million on Nov. 25, with the pace of new infections accelerating and the United States reporting record numbers of hospitalizations, according to a Reuters tally.
The number of Covid-19 deaths in the United States crossed 250,000, according to a Reuters tally, as a third coronavirus wave brings a fresh surge in infections and puts immense strain on the healthcare system.
Federal health regulators decided to allow the resumption of the U.S. trial of a leading Covid-19 vaccine candidate from AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the matter and materials reviewed by it.
Brazilian health authority Anvisa said a volunteer in a clinical trial of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University died, stating it had received data from an investigation into the matter.
Global coronavirus cases rose by more than 400,000 for the first time, a record one-day increase as much of Europe enacts new restrictions to curb the outbreak.
