On the subject of vaccines and the "is Pfizer better than AZ?" debate here's one very encouraging bit of news that slipped under the radar a bit...
Early clinical data from studies of the NVX-CoV2373 vaccine (Novavax), a recombinant nanoparticle vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that contains the full-length spike glycoprotein of the prototype strain plus Matrix-M adjuvant, showed that the vaccine was safe and associated with a robust immune response in healthy adult participants.
...
A total of 15,187 participants underwent randomization, and 14,039 were included in the per-protocol efficacy population. Of the participants, 27.9% were 65 years of age or older, and 44.6% had coexisting illnesses. Infections were reported in 10 participants in the vaccine group and in 96 in the placebo group, with a symptom onset of at least 7 days after the second injection, for a vaccine efficacy of 89.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 80.2 to 94.6). No hospitalizations or deaths were reported among the 10 cases in the vaccine group. Five cases of severe infection were reported, all of which were in the placebo group. A post hoc analysis showed an efficacy of 86.3% (95% CI, 71.3 to 93.5) against the B.1.1.7 (or alpha) variant and 96.4% (95% CI, 73.8 to 99.5) against non-B.1.1.7 variants. Reactogenicity was generally mild and transient. The incidence of serious adverse events was low and similar in the two groups.
[ Source:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2107659 ]
This was a fairly recent UK trial so at the time the Alpha variant was dominant which, while not having the same level of escape as for instance the Beta (first seen in South Africa) variant, has still been shown to have a modest impact on the efficacy of the AZ and Pfizer vaccines (and others) re symptomatic illness and other efficacy numbers so the fact that the Novavax vaccine showed 86.3% efficacy against Alpha and 96.4% against non-alpha (against symptomatic illness) puts it right up there with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at least on the basis of the phase 3 trials since those mRNA trials were much earlier with less exposure to some of the more challenging new variants. The icing on the cake is also that the Novavax vaccine is going to be manufactured locally in the UK with 60m doses on order [ Source:
https://www.nepic.co.uk/blog/memberpost ... illingham/ ]. It's also stored at regular fridge temperatures.
Not yet approved but the trial data looks good so hopefully approval will come soon and give the UK, and ultimately by donation some of the rest of the world, another really good vaccine. All reasons to be cheerful I think.
- Julian