THE Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use in the UK, but who will get it, when, and how effective is it? The Northern Echo answers your key questions.
Every adult in Britain will be able to get a coronavirus vaccine, the Health Secretary has confirmed.
Officials had previously confirmed that those in at-risk groups will get a jab, with the Pfizer/BioNTech jab already being given to the most vulnerable, while hinting at wider vaccination.
But now a second vaccine, developed by Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine, has been given the green light for widespread use, Matt Hancock has said that all adults will be eligible unless you can't have the jab for medical reasons.
The jab has been in the spotlight since it started screening for trial volunteers in March. Nine months later, it has been approved by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Here is everything we know so far about the new vaccine:
How effective is it?
Like the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, people will need two doses.
For those who had the two full doses in one study, the vaccine was 62.1 per cent effective.
In a study where people received a half dose followed by a full dose, the vaccine was 90 per cent effective.
Researchers said there were no admissions to hospital or severe disease in people receiving the vaccine.
AstraZeneca confirmed that the dosage approved for use is the full dose/full dose regimen.
Phase three trials also suggested there were some promising signs about the vaccine potentially stopping transmission of Covid-19.
The study suggested vaccine efficacy against asymptomatic transmission is around 27 per cent.
A volunteer being administered the Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine (John Cairns/University of Oxford)
How many jabs do you need?
During clinical trials, one set of volunteers were inadvertently given a half dose as the first jab.
Preliminary phase three results suggested the half dose, followed by the full dose was more effective at protecting against coronavirus, than two full doses.
However, this finding raised some eyebrows as it only included a small number of people, and was an apparent mistake.
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has acknowledged the finding was as a result of a dosing error.
The group of experts which advise the Government on vaccination – the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation – has recommended that for both the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, as well as the Pfizer/BioNTech one, the priority should be to give as many people in at-risk groups their first dose, rather than providing the required two doses in as short a time as possible.
Everyone will still receive their second dose, which will be within 12 weeks of their first after some trial participants also received their second dose in this timeframe.
Pfizer said that its assessments of safety and efficacy of its own jab are based on a two-dose schedule, separated by 21 days and it urged surveillance of any “alternative” dosing regimens.
Who will be vaccinated?
Mr Hancock has said every adult will be able to be vaccinated, with the exception of those who cannot have the jab for medical reasons.
He told Times Radio: “We have enough of this vaccine on order that all adults can have this vaccine and of course we’ll go to those who are clinically most vulnerable first and the healthcare professionals and those colleagues who work in social care.
“We’ll go to them first, according to that clinical prioritisation but yes,
after that – this vaccine will be available for the under-50s.”
The vaccine has not, however, been approved for use in children.
Asked if he could provide a timeline for when under-50s without pre-existing conditions may be vaccinated, Mr Hancock told Times Radio: “It depends on the speed of manufacture, I wish I could give you a date, but we can’t because it depends on the speed of the manufacture.”
But he added that now a second jab has been approved for use, the vaccination programme can be “accelerated”.
How will the vaccine be rolled out?
The initial doses of the Oxford jab are due to be dispatched from Germany, with a large proportion then manufactured in the UK.
The UK has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford University vaccine – enough to vaccinate 50 million people.
Officials also pre-ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab – enough for 20 million people.
The Oxford vaccine can be stored at fridge temperature for at least six months so it is hoped the logistics of administering it will be easier.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the approval was “fantastic news” and confirmed that the rollout would begin on January 4.
AstraZeneca said was building up a manufacturing capacity of up to three billion doses worldwide next year, and aims to supply the UK with millions of doses in the first quarter in 2021.
People will be given a first dose of the jab, with a second dose up to 12 weeks later.
As things stand the vaccines will be rolled out as and when they become available.
No announcement has been made on whether one might be given priority over another as they become ready on a mass scale.
People are not expected to be able to choose which jab they want to receive.
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