Cheap and easy to store, the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine approved by the British regulator on Wednesday has given a shot in the arm to the global fight against coronavirus.
Here are five facts about the much-anticipated vaccine.
– Practicality –
The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine has the major advantages of being inexpensive, costing about £2.50 ($3.40, 2.75 euros) per dose, and easy to store.
It can be kept at normal refrigerator temperatures of between two and eight degrees Celsius, making it ideal for large-scale vaccination programs.
By contrast, the Moderna vaccine needs to be stored at -20C, while the Pfizer/BioNTech product must be kept at -70C.
– Mutant strain –
The vaccine should be capable of fighting the new variant of the coronavirus responsible for a surge of cases in the United Kingdom, according to AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot.
“So far, we think the vaccine should remain effective. But we can’t be sure, so we’re going to test that,” he…
Source: Vanguard Newspaper
