People who have had the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine may not need a booster because they should be protected against Covid-19 infection for a longer period of time, according to the company’s CEO.
According to the Daily Mail, Pascal Soriot, the UK pharmaceutical giant’s chief executive, is hoping for concrete data this autumn proving that its vaccine produces strong “T cell immunity.”
T cells, a type of white blood cell in the immune system, provide a different type of antibody-based immunity that may last longer.
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The elderly and vulnerable are scheduled to receive Covid booster shots on the NHS this autumn, amid concerns that vaccine protection may wane over time.
If the T cell response data is confirmed, it could mean that some people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine didn’t need it.
Mr Soriot said:
“We hope that the Oxford-AstraZeneca will provide longer term protection. The science so far suggests that our vaccine provides a strong T cell response which I hope means its effects will last longer. So, it looks good but we don’t yet know for sure whether you will need a booster. Time will tell.”
By October or November, AstraZeneca expects to have authoritative data. If the science proves to be correct, it could relieve the health authorities of the enormous burden of delivering millions of urgent booster injections before winter arrives, saving hospitalizations and countless lives.
According to a Birmingham University study, the AZ vaccine, which is based on traditional immunisation science, activates T cells that fight infection more effectively than Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines.
Data collected by Johnson & Johnson, based on the same vaccine technology as Astra’s Covid jab and used in Africa to combat the Zika virus, shows it “provides years of protection,” according to Mr Soriot. Pfizer has acknowledged that after six months, the efficacy of its mRNA jabs begins to wane, which is why the company is recommending a booster.
Mr Soriot also revealed that official data indicates that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is very effective against the Delta variant. Furthermore, an increasing number of studies show that people who received the Pfizer vaccine were just as likely as those who received the AZ dose to experience rare side effects.
Earlier this year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emanuel Macron made disparaging remarks about the AZ vaccine and filed a lawsuit against the company over supply bottlenecks.
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“We are in discussions with the European Union to reach a settlement,” Mr Soriot said.
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