U.K. Becomes First Country to Authorize<br />Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine.<br />On Wednesday, the United Kingdom gave emergency<br />authorization to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the<br />University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. .<br />They are the first country to do so, although much<br />of the world is expected to follow suit. .<br />At three to four dollars a dose, the Oxford-AstraZeneca<br />vaccine is cheaper than other vaccines. .<br />It is also much easier to store, as the<br />Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be kept at <br />temperatures between -112°F and -76°F.<br />The British government has also decided to<br />give a first vaccine dose to as many people as possible,<br />rather than holding supplies for quick second shots. .<br />They hope that expanding the initial number of<br />inoculations and lengthening the gap between<br />doses will curb the pandemic more quickly.<br />British regulators said that during the clinical trial<br />of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the first dose <br />provided partial protection against COVID-19. .<br />It was found to have 70 percent efficiency<br />against COVID-19 in the several months<br />between the first and second shot. .<br />This is very good news for the world — <br />it makes a global approach to a global <br />pandemic much easier … , Professor Stephen Evans, London School of Hygiene <br />and Tropical Medicine, via ‘The New York Times’.<br />... it will be better to get more people<br />some level of protection than to have all of the<br />people being vaccinated get full protection, Professor Stephen Evans, London School of Hygiene <br />and Tropical Medicine, via ‘The New York Times’
