Uh Oh: South Africa Suspends AstraZeneca Vaccine As Ineffective Against Variant

[PeteS in CA]

Uh Oh: South Africa Suspends AstraZeneca Vaccine As Ineffective Against Variant

https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2021/02/08/uh-oh-south-africa-suspends-astrazeneca-vaccine-ineffective-variant/

A big part of the effort to halt COVID-19 in South Africa came to a halt overnight after the country suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Their data showed that the vaccine may only be as little as 10% effective against the South Africa variant, which Reuters notes is statistically insignificant. The biggest problem is AstraZeneca’s clinical trials, and it’s not the first time that issue has arisen:
...
The AstraZeneca vaccine doesn’t appear to be effective against mild or moderate infections of the variant, but does it prevent more serious cases? No one’s sure, because their sample didn’t include older patients that are more likely to develop serious acute cases. ... Even Johnson & Johnson’s relatively disappointing result of ~55% effectiveness against the variant still qualifies as epidemiologically effective, especially since that vaccine does appear to limit acute cases to milder levels and prevent hospitalizations.

AstraZeneca has not applied for FDA EUA. I the above is correct, that the AZ vaccine is ineffective against a significant variant of SARS-CoV-2, I doubt they will. And if they did I doubt they would receive EUA.

AZ's Phase III trial began, IIRC, in May 2020, i.e. months before the South African variant started circulating (to a significant degree, at least). J & J's vaccine started Phase III several months later, and they applied for EUA late last week. So there is at least some data showing it somewhat effective (Pfizer's and Moderna's 94% efficacy makes anything substantially less look sub-par, though it is the 94% that is unusual).

Tests, so far, of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines show that they are effective against the UK and South African variants.

The article on which the Hot Air blogpost is based is from the WashPost, probably behind their paywall. I don't feed paywalls or free-if-you-give-us-your-email-walls.