South Africa Halts AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout On Efficacy Against Variant

AstraZeneca Plc (NASDAQ: AZN) is working on a new version of its COVID-19 vaccine for immunity against the South African coronavirus variant after a small early data suggested that AZN’s jab has limited protection against mild disease caused by the variant, Bloomberg reports.
Sarah Gilbert, leading the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine program, said work was already underway, and the new shot is “very likely” to be available by autumn.”
Meanwhile, South Africa has suspended inoculation, as per CNBC. “The government would await advice from scientists on how best to proceed, after disappointing results in a trial conducted by the University of the Witwatersrand,” Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said.
Researchers from the University of Witwatersrand and others in South Africa, and the University of Oxford, noted that the study was small, involving only around 2,000 volunteers.
After the disappointing trial results on the variant, the country now plans to fast-track the rollout of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine after it showed more efficacy against a new variant, according to Glenda Gray, president of the South African Medical Research Council.
Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have also reported that their vaccinations offer protection against new known virus variants in South Africa and the U.K.
Price Action: AZN is up 0.42% at $49.94 in premarket trading on the last check Monday.