AstraZeneca’s corona vaccine is no longer vaccinated in Germany – a mistake? A new study examined its effectiveness against omicron.
The corona values in Baden-Württemberg* and all of Germany are declining slightly, which is sometimes also due to the stricter corona measures in Germany*, which the federal and state governments had agreed on. In some federal states, there has recently been a curfew for gastronomy. In addition, contact restrictions are also imposed in many places for vaccinated people. According to echo24.de *, the fear of another wave with the new corona variant Omikron from South Africa is great.
In addition to tightened measures, politicians are currently increasingly relying on the booster vaccination, which according to the latest Stiko recommendation will in future be recommended as early as three months after the second vaccination. In Germany, the vaccines from Biontech and Moderna are used as booster vaccines – other vaccines are hardly ever used. The reason for this is obvious: the two vaccines are based on the mRNA mode of action and are more effective than the vector vaccines.
Corona vaccine from AstraZeneca: The vaccine is still used here
The problem is that the Moderna and Biontech vaccines are also only partially effective against the omicron mutation. But what about vector vaccines? A legitimate and important question, because it is precisely in poorer countries that the vaccine is vaccinated on a large scale. According to the Wall Street Journal and Spiegel Online , AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria corona vaccine is reaching more people in low- and middle-income countries than Biontech or Moderna.
| company | AstraZeneca |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, United Kingdom |
| founding | April 6, 1999 |
| number of employees | 70,600 (as of 2019) |
| management | Pascal Soriot (CEO) |
On the one hand, this is due to the fact that many western countries have donated their AstraZeneca doses and are now relying on the more effective mRNA vaccines, but on the other hand it is also due to the price. Because the manufacturer AstraZeneca still sells the doses of its vaccine to poorer countries at cost price. In addition, the corona vaccine does not have to be transported so extremely refrigerated and can therefore be distributed very easily in poorer countries.
Corona vaccine from AstraZeneca: study shows efficacy against omicron
But there may be another aspect that speaks in favor of vaccination with AstraZeneca. According to reports from Spiegel Online , the vector vaccine is apparently very effective against the omicron variant. Manufacturer AstraZeneca and researchers from Oxford recently announced that laboratory studies showed that a third vaccination with Vaxzevria increased the vaccinee’s antibody protection against omicron to the level of two doses. The study has not yet been independently reviewed.
However, the new findings from the study could make AstraZeneca interesting as a booster vaccine. Because regardless of whether an mRNA or vector vaccine was administered as the first vaccination, a different vaccine can be used for the follow-up or booster vaccination. How effective the combination of vaccines for the booster vaccination is *, examined recently, a study reported on the current Merkur.de *. Will AstraZeneca celebrate a comeback in Germany soon?
Corona vaccine from AstraZeneca: New vaccines can be used as boosters
Unknown! What is certain, however, is that the new corona vaccine from Novavax * should be vaccinated in Germany from January. The effectiveness of Novavax in relation to Omicron is still being studied. Unlike the vaccines previously approved in the EU, the vaccine belongs to the group of dead vaccines. Just like AstraZeneca, Novavax could also be considered as a booster vaccine* for vaccinated people. In the fight against Omikron, however, the mRNA vaccine companies are also very active.
Both Biontech and Moderna want to adapt their vaccines to Omicron and thus stop a heavy wave. For many vaccinated people, this would mean that a fourth vaccination could be necessary as early as next year. From the point of view of some experts, however, it is currently more important to reach those who have not yet been vaccinated. A vaccination cannot reduce an infection with Omikron 100 percent, but it can prevent a severe course.
A terrible tragedy from Neunbürg in Baden-Württemberg, about which HEIDELBERG24* is currently reporting, shows how bad an infection with Covid-19 can end. The spouses and the 30-year-old son of a family died of the infection, leaving behind four sisters, some of whom are still minors. * echo24.de and HEIDELBERG24 are offered by IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubrics: © Stefan Sauer / dpa
