AstraZeneca Vaccine Substantially Reduces Transmission Of COVID-19: Study

An initial analysis of study data shows the Astrazeneca's COVID-19 vaccine reduces the transmission of the coronavirus. Researchers conducted weekly nasal swabs on volunteers and found that the number of positive tests declined by as much as 50%.

The study also found that the vaccine was 76% effective at preventing infection after just one dose. The study also suggested that spacing out the interval between the first and second doses could increase the efficacy of the vaccine.

When participants in the clinical trial were given their second dose at least three months after the first, the vaccine was 82% effective. The effectiveness of the vaccine dropped to 55% when the doses were given less than six weeks apart.

"The exploratory analyses presented in this preprint suggest that it is the dosing interval and not the dosing level which has a great impact on the efficacy of the vaccine. This is in line with previous research supporting greater efficacy with longer prime-boost intervals done with other vaccines such as influenza, Ebola, and malaria," the study authors wrote.

AstraZeneca's vaccine has been approved for use in several countries, including the U.K. and India. The company is applying for an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and hopes to get it approved by March.

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