Good news about effectiveness and safety
You would almost miss it, with all the reports about undelivered vaccines and discussions about who can get a shot first and who has to wait longer. Fortunately, a lot of progress is also being made. These four developments offer the prospect of better protection against the corona virus and relaxation of the measures.
1 The AstraZeneca vaccine protects against hospitalization, even in people over 65
This is evident from the vaccination figures in Scotland, this is how the Volkskrant writes. Half a million elderly people there have already been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Four weeks after the first vaccine, only two people had been hospitalized because of corona. A protection of 94 percent, if you compare it with unvaccinated people.
The researchers are not yet able to make a comparison with the vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna, more data is needed for that. But these are positive sounds, because until now it was thought that the AstraZeneca vaccine does not work well in the elderly. That is why it is only given up to the age of 65 in the Netherlands. If it does appear to work in the elderly, this will provide additional opportunities for the ordered vaccines. Provided they are actually delivered.
2 The Janssen vaccine is more effective than thought
The American drug watchdog FDA has released a positive report on the Janssen vaccine, according to this message on nu.nl. It protects 72 percent against corona, which is higher than first thought and it is safe. On Friday, the FDA will advise whether the vaccine can be approved for the US market.
The Janssen vaccine was developed in Leiden by the company Janssen, which is part of the American Johnson & Johnson. It has been purchased for the Netherlands, but it has not yet been approved. The European evaluator EMA is now evaluating the Janssen vaccine. The verdict is expected in March. Advantage of this vaccine – only a single shot is needed.
3 The Russian Sputnik V Vaccine Seems Effective And Safe
The medical journal The Lancet reported in early February that the Russian vaccine Sputnik appears to be safe and effective, according to interim study results in 20,000 people. Effectiveness was high at nearly 92 percent. The Sputnik vaccine is a weakened cold virus containing the genetic code of part of the coronavirus. The body then builds up a defense against the coronavrius.
So it works roughly like the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Janssen vaccine. Like these vaccines, the Russian vaccine was also quickly developed in the corona outbreak, but it was not purchased for the European market. It was criticized that Russia gave the vaccine to the population too quickly, while the investigations were still ongoing and little was communicated about it. Now that the data is public and indeed showing positive results, the Sputnik vaccine becomes more interesting again. The EMA is not yet processing the vaccine for registration, but has already consulted with the developers.
4 RIVM: vaccination reduces infections in nursing homes
Fortunately, the search for sufficiently effective vaccines really makes sense, because the RIVM sees the number of infections has fallen sharply among residents of nursing homes. This group of people already received the first shot in January and that is now bearing fruit. The 85-89-year-olds who had their turn a week later also appear to be infected less often.
BONUS
The Algemeen Dagblad reports that Moderna is making an adapted version of its vaccine against the new South African variant. One batch has been sent to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States for clinical research.
