Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US, said that AstraZeneca coronavirus shot had good efficacy; however, safety concerns needed to be examined. He further added that given the current vaccination rollout, the US might not need the vaccine.
While talking to the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), Doctor Fauci said, “I think that the AstraZeneca vaccine from the standpoint of efficacy is a good vaccine, and if the safety issue gets straightened out in the European Union … the efficacy of that vaccine is quite good.”
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He said that the question is not to ever use the AstraZeneca shot, but analyzing America’s biggest inoculation drive, the country might not need it to vaccinate its people. Fauci further stated that the efficacy of the shot “is really good.”
As the worst-affected country – in terms of total infections and fatalities – Doctor Fauci also said there was a “really risky situation” as the restaurants, bars, and other public places were resuming their activities in some areas where the use of face coverings was not being practiced or even enforced. He added the inoculation drive would curb “a real explosion of a surge”; however, it would not stop a moderate increase in cases, Fauci warned.
“This is not a time to prematurely declare victory because we have such a successful rollout,” he said. Over the concerns of rare blood clots, the AstraZeneca/BioNTech shot is under investigation in the European Union. But on the other hand, the shot has not yet been given a green signal by FDA in the United States.
European regulators have found the possibility of a relationship between shots, which have been given to millions across the world, and blood clots. Still, they have reaffirmed the benefits of vaccines in protecting people against deadly respiratory disease.
Following the news of possible blood clots, health authorities in more than a dozen countries at one time suspended the use of AstraZeneca shot. However, most have continued, with some, including Netherlands, France, and Germany, recommending the minimum age. Officials in the UK, where vaccines were first approved, have suggested that those under the age of 30 must be offered as an alternative.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is so far the cheapest and highest volume shot launched since the coronavirus outbreak and does not have extreme cooling requirements, unlike several others vaccines, making it a planned mainstay of many inoculation programs.
