© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Vials labelled “Astra Zeneca COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine” and a syringe are seen in entrance of a displayed AstraZeneca brand on this illustration photograph2/2
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) – The United States may not need AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:)’s COVID-19 vaccine, even when it wins U.S. regulatory approval, Anthony Fauci, the nation’s high infectious illness physician advised Reuters on Thursday.
The vaccine, as soon as hailed as one other milestone within the combat towards the COVID-19 pandemic, has been dogged by questions since late final 12 months, even because it has been licensed to be used by dozens of nations, not together with United States.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the White House, mentioned the United States has sufficient contracts with different vaccine makers to vaccinate its total inhabitants, and presumably sufficient for booster photographs within the fall.
Asked whether or not the United States will use the AstraZeneca vaccine doses, he mentioned, “That’s still up in the air. My general feeling is that given the contractual relationships that we have with a number of companies, that we have enough vaccine to fulfill all of our needs without invoking AstraZeneca.”
Late final 12 months, the drugmaker and Oxford University revealed information from an earlier trial with two totally different efficacy readings on account of a dosing error. Then in March, greater than a dozen nations briefly suspended using AstraZeneca’s vaccine after reviews linked it to a uncommon blood clotting dysfunction.
Also in March, a U.S. well being company mentioned information from the corporate gave an incomplete image of its efficacy. Days later AstraZeneca revealed outcomes exhibiting diminished, although nonetheless sturdy, efficacy.
Fauci mentioned that “If you look at the numbers (of doses) that we’re going to be getting, the amount that you can get from J&J (NYSE:), from Novavax (NASDAQ:) from Moderna (NASDAQ:) if we contract for more, it is likely that we can handle any boost that we need, but I can’t say definitely for sure.”
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