Expert calling for ‘caution’ after jag
A VACCINE expert has warned caution will be needed even after vaccination amid findings the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab is limited against a variant.
The preliminary findings of a small study have suggested the vaccine only gives limited protection against mild disease caused by the South Africa variant.
However, it has not been fully established whether the vaccine still protects against severe illness caused by the variant.
Professor Robin Shattock, who is leading Covid-19 vaccine research at Imperial College London, urged caution will be needed after both doses of the vaccine.
Speaking of the preliminary study, he said: “It’s a very small study with just over 2000 people and it’s not published so we can only judge it from the press release and press coverage.
“But it is concerning to some extent that we’re seeing that it’s not effective against mild or moderate disease.”
Professor Shattock said the study participants had a mean age of around 31 and it is not yet clear whether they had both doses.
He said: “Oxford, as well as other groups, are already working on vaccines against these variants. We will need to keep updating the vaccines to keep ahead of the virus.”
He added: “I think everybody should remember that having a vaccine is going to prevent you ending up in hospital with these current strains.
“We also need to be cautious about still, even though you will get some protection from a single dose, behaving as if you don’t, in order to maximise your chances of getting total protection when you get that second dose and minimise the chances of being able to transmit it on if you get one of these variant strains.”