AstraZeneca Says an Updated COVID-19 Vaccine May Take at Least 6 Months.<br />The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said that production<br />of a vaccine able to effectively combat new COVID-19 <br />variants could take at least six months. .<br />[AstraZeneca] hopes to reduce the time needed<br />to reach production at scale to between six to<br />nine months, by utilizing existing clinical data<br />and optimizing its established supply chain, AstraZeneca, via ‘The Hill’.<br />So far, the AstraZeneca vaccine has<br />been praised for its cheap production costs<br />and manageable storage requirements. .<br />However, a recent report revealed that it only offered<br />“minimal protection” against the more contagious COVID-19<br />variant that was first discovered in South Africa. .<br />The country has<br />since halted the<br />administration<br />of AstraZeneca's<br />COVID-19 vaccine.<br />The World Health Organization (WHO) still<br />recommends that the vaccine is used, even in<br />countries where the South Africa variant is present. .<br />Even if there is a reduction in the possibility<br />of these vaccines having a full impact in<br />its protection capacity especially against<br />severe disease, there is no reason not to<br />recommend its use even in countries<br />that have the circulation of the variants, WHO Chairman Alejandro Cravioto, via ‘The Hill’
