AstraZeneca said the authorisation was for a two-dose regime and that the vaccine had been approved for use for emergency supply. Britain has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine. The government has today accepted the recommendation from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise Oxford University/AstraZeneca s COVID-19 vaccine for use, the health ministry said.
Pooled results from those trials show it had an overall efficacy of 70.4 per cent. Efficacy was 62 per cent for trial participants given two full doses, but 90 per cent for a smaller sub-group given a half, then a full dose.
Researchers said that the finding of 90 per cent efficacy for the low-dose/high-dose regime needed more investigation. AstraZeneca did not specify which dose regime had been approved.
Health Acting Director-General Patrick Amoth
(pictured) said the low price of the vaccine compared to other candidates’ was one of the reasons Kenya settled for it.
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which US, Singapore and Canada have ordered, goes for Sh2,000 per dose, followed by Moderna, which costs between Sh1,500 and Sh1,700 a dose.
AstraZeneca goes for between Sh400 and Sh600 a dose.
Dr Amoth noted that the AstraZeneca vaccine was also suitable for the country’s cold chain logistics, as it can be stored under temperatures of between 2°C and 8°C.
“The other two vaccines require a unique cold chain system that most countries do not have,” he said in reference to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.