The AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was 79% effective in a late-stage trial, paving the way for its emergency authorization in the US, Reuters reported.
Trials conducted in conjunction with Oxford University in Chile, Peru, and the US, showed that the vaccine did not increase the risk of blood clots but did decrease the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 by 79%, the company said, adding that it intends to request American emergency authorization in the coming weeks.
Over 50 countries have already approved the vaccine for emergency use, Reuters noted.
The trials included over 32,000 people, including a large segment of elderly volunteers. The results have not yet been reviewed by independent researchers.
Reuters quoted Stephen Evans, Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, as saying: "It is clear this vaccine has very good efficacy (remember that 60% was, prior to any trials being started, regarded as a good target), and that this efficacy does not show a notable decline at older ages."
Meanwhile, trials of both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna's coronavirus vaccines show that the two are approximately 95% effective.