AstraZeneca, mRNA vaccines equally effective in preventing serious Covid-19 outcomes
Data from 79 real-world studies show that AstraZeneca and mRNA Covid-19 vaccines provide equal protection against hospitalisation and death after two doses, several experts said on Wednesday.
The data indicated that both viral vector and mRNA vaccines, specifically Pfizer and Moderna, offer the same protection against hospitalisation (91.3-92.5 per cent) and death (91.4-93.3 per cent), regardless of age.
While data available at the time of review relates to Delta and earlier variants, emerging data indicate similar findings on serious Covid-19 outcomes resulting from Omicron.
"Covid-19 vaccines have been critical in saving lives and helping Southeast Asian countries return to some normalcy over the past year," said Guy Thwaites, director of Oxford Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam.
"This is important information for the region’s policymakers as they consider the optimal deployment of Covid-19 vaccines in their populations over the next 12 months,” he added.
Meanwhile, National Vaccine Institute of Thailand deputy director Sunate Chuenkitmongkol said experts have to focus on all evidence, including antibody levels and effectiveness in real-world settings, to prove that a vaccine can effectively protect people from serious outcomes.
"We have reviewed 79 relevant real-world publications and proved that the most widely used viral vector vaccine and the available mRNA vaccines demonstrate high and equal protection against severe outcomes of Covid-19,” she said.
She also urged the Thai government to accelerate the third jab in order to create herd immunity.
AstraZeneca and its global partners have released over 2.9 billion vaccine doses to more than 180 countries, and approximately two-thirds of these doses have been delivered to low- and lower-middle income countries.
The vaccine is estimated to have helped prevent 50 million Covid-19 cases, five million hospitalisations, and to have saved more than one million lives.
