AstraZeneca’s U.S. trial shows its coronavirus vaccine is safe and 79% effective

Oxford University and AstraZeneca reported Monday that their coronavirus “vaccine for the world” was safe and 79% effective overall, according to data from a long-awaited clinical trial in the U.S., Chile and Peru. The two-shot regimen was completely effective at preventing severe cases of illness.

The results, announced in a news release, set the stage for U.S. regulators to decide whether to authorize the easily transported $4 shot after the company submits an application in the coming weeks. The two-shot regimen is already being used in many countries, but authorization by the Food and Drug Administration would open up the U.S. market and send a strong signal to the globe about the quality of the inoculation.

The AstraZeneca results are sure to prompt debate within the Biden administration about how the shot fits into the U.S. vaccine strategy, if it is authorized. The U.S. government placed an order for 300 million doses at a cost of $1.2 billion last year.

Based on the timeline for other vaccines, emergency clearance appears unlikely before May, when there will be increased supply of three already authorized vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson.

Having a fourth would provide the United States insurance against potential manufacturing or supply mishaps involving the three authorized vaccines and additional options for deploying shots domestically and sending some to other countries that need them. Last week, the Biden administration announced that it would send 4 million doses of the vaccine to Mexico and Canada.

It is too soon to know how the AstraZeneca vaccine will fit into the U.S. vaccine portfolio, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.