AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine more effective with longer dose gap: study
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[February 20, 2021]
(Reuters) - AstraZeneca and Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine is more
effective when its second dose is given three months after the first,
instead of six weeks, a peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet
medical journal showed on Friday.
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 The study confirmed the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker's findings from
earlier this month that showed the vaccine had 76% efficacy against
symptomatic coronavirus infection for three months after the first
dose.
Efficacy was found to be at 81% with the longer interval of 12 weeks
between the first and second dose, compared with 55% efficacy up to
the six-week gap, according to the Lancet study, which backs British
and WHO recommendations for longer intervals. (https://bit.ly/3bmLX25)
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 Faced with a resurgence in
infections and new, highly transmissible
variants of the virus, many countries are hoping
to broaden immunization by giving some
protection to as many people as possible with a
first dose, while delaying subsequent shots.
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru;
Editing by Anil D'Silva)
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