French pharma giant Sanofi and United Kingdom’s GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have claimed that their COVID-19 vaccines provide "complete protection" against severe cases of the disease and hospitalisation.
They now intend to submit data to seek approval for regulatory usage for their booster shots and two-shot vaccines in the United States (US) and Europe.
What is the efficacy of the vaccine? Which age group is it meant for? What are its advantages? Here is all you need to know:
What is the vaccine efficacy?
According to Phase-III efficacy trails, Sanofi-GSK COVID-19 vaccine provides:
100 percent efficacy against severe cases
75 percent efficacy against moderate to severe cases
58 percent efficacy against symptomatic cases
77 percent efficacy against symptomatic cases of Delta variant
Sanofi-GSK vaccine also claims to show an increase in neutralising antibodies by:
18-30 folds (Sanofi-GSK booster shots on mRNA/adenovirus vaccine)
84-153 folds compared to pre-booster level (two doses + booster of Sanofi-GSK vaccine)
Which age group is it meant for?
It has been tested on participants aged 18 years and above and shows increased neutralising antibodies across all age groups in adults.
How were the trials conducted?
The trials were conducted:
Through randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled Phase 3 study
More than 35,000 volunteers aged 18 years and older
People from different countries of USA, Asia, and Africa
On participants from India as well
What are the advantages of Sanofi-GSK COVID-19 vaccine?
Potential advantages of Sanofi-GSK COVID-19 vaccine over most other existing vaccines are:
It can be stored at normal refrigerator temperatures
It is easier to transport
It has more store time than other mRNA vaccines
People hesitant to take mRNA vaccines can opt for it
It may find a place in lower-income countries
What kind of vaccine is it?
The vaccine is created using Sanofi's recombinant protein technology as well as GSK's adjuvants for enhancing immune response.
Sam Fazeli, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, told Mint that Sanofi-GSK vaccine provides similar protection like mRNA vaccine in case of hospitalisation and disease severity but may fall behind to some extent in case of symptomatic infections.
(Inputs from Times of India and Mint.)
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