https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/02/south-africa-suspends-use-astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine-after-it-fails-clearly-stop
"South Africa suspends use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after it fails to clearly stop virus variant
Another COVID-19 vaccine has run into trouble in South Africa, showing less protection there than elsewhere because a SARS-CoV-2 variant that can apparently dodge key antibodies has become widespread. In the wake of the new finding, the country halted plans to next week to launch the country's first immunization campaign with the vaccine and may instead switch to a different one."
https://www.statnews.com/2021/03/15/the-curious-case-of-astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine/
The curious case of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine
By Matthew Herper March 15, 2021
"AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine is facing a crisis of confidence, with one European country after another, as if seized by a fit of panic, temporarily suspending its use over concerns about reports of blood clots in people who received it.
Denmark, Iceland, and Norway had earlier said they would temporarily stop using the two-dose vaccine. On Sunday, Ireland announced a similar decision. France, Germany, and Italy followed on Monday.
Experts and Europe's regulatory body insist that the vaccine's benefit — preventing Covid-19 and helping to stop the pandemic — outweighs its risks. They note that the number of people to report the side effect is relatively small, and no causal link has been established.
But experts are also now worried that the decisions by multiple countries to suspend the vaccine's use could make it harder to convince people to receive it should the concerns turn out, as they expect, to be a false alarm."
This casual mention was the part of the article that surprised me the most: "The EMA estimated the vaccine was about 60% effective....."
So does that suggest it worth the risk, as long as a person has secured in advance, excellent access to early treatment with proven highly effective, cheap, generic drugs? https://www.covid-19forum.org/index.php?board=3.0
much more
https://www.statnews.com/2021/03/15/the-curious-case-of-astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine/