LEIGH SALES:
In a little more than a fortnight, the first locally produced doses of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine will be administered across Australia, allowing the nation's vaccination program to ramp up. There's been debate about whether Australia has secured the best mix of vaccines, although the fact that it's barely a year since the pandemic began and there are already several safe and effective vaccines is a stunning scientific achievement. Europe correspondent Samantha Hawley met two of the scientist who's contributed to the unprecedented effort.
REPORTER:
Oxford, England. 8000 km from Wuhan, and before COVID-19 was known to have reached British shores, scientists here began the fight against one of the deadliest viruses the world has ever seen. Among them, Australian Matthew Snape, a paediatrician, Associate Professor in Vaccines and a key member of the Oxford team.
MATTHEW SNAPE:
What we've gone through is incredible and we have tools now that have been developed because of decades of work that we were able to adapt to this quickly.
REPORTER:
In January 2020, two days after the Chinese had released the virus' genetic coding to the world; scientists in Oxford had come up with the design for the Vaccine. In record speed, just 10 months later, human trials proved the vaccine worked.
MAHESHI RAMASAMY:
That was pretty exciting. We had some strong suspicions that the vaccine was going to be highly effective because we'd seen the immune response data already. But it was just really gratifying to see that.
REPORTER:
Dr Maheshi Ramasamy spent many years living and studying in Australia. She works as a doctor on the front-line and has been leading the Oxford team's clinical trials.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has sort of become the pariah of the vaccines. Is it difficult for you to sort of watch that? Watch the European reaction, for instance?
MAHESHI RAMASAMY:
Well, my job as a scientist is to present the data, openly and transparently. And people just need to interpret that data as they see fit. And individual countries need to make their own decisions.
REPORTER:
For weeks, European nations dragged their feet on rolling out the Oxford vials. In January, the French President declared the vaccine quasi ineffective for those aged over 65. The German, Polish and Italian governments were also among those recommending only those aged under 65 receive the Oxford jab. In February, reports revealed four out of five doses delivered to EU nations were yet to be used.
MATTHEW SNAPE:
It has very little to do with science, lots to do with politics, I think, which is really unfortunate. And I think that now is having a knock-on effect that could have been predicted and should have been predicted, that if you start talking down vaccine, people may have some reluctance about taking the vaccine.
REPORTER:
Last week, the real life data began to jump off the page. In the UK, more than a third of adults or 20 million people, most over the age of 65, had received at least one dose of either the Oxford or Pfizer vaccine. And the figures were in.
MATTHEW SNAPE:
Both vaccines are 80 per cent effective at preventing severe disease. Both Pfizer and the AstraZeneca-Oxford one, at least 80 per cent effective in preventing severe disease after a single dose. That's fantastic data.
MAHESHI RAMASAMY:
And the bottom line is both the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer vaccine have very similar protection, very good protection, 80 per cent against hospitalisation. And I think that's really the key.
REPORTER:
While many experts in Australia are buoyed by the results, they're also keeping a close eye on the vaccine's effectiveness against emerging strains. A study in South Africa was less encouraging.
RAINA MACINTYRE:
Overall, the efficacy of AstraZeneca was 60 per cent, which is similar to what was obtained in the overall trial published in The Lancet, but it dropped down to about 51 per cent against the B1135 variant, which is the South African strain.
REPORTER:
Professor Raina MacIntyre warns more research is needed to see if other vulnerable groups will be well protected by the vaccine.
RAINA MACINTYRE:
We do know from the AstraZeneca trial in South Africa that the efficacy was reduced in people with HIV. So, that is the first data that I've seen that suggests that the response just isn't as good in people whose immune system is impaired.
REPORTER:
Efficacy rates aside, the Astra vaccine does have one distinct advantage over others, it will soon be rolling off Australia in production lines. The importance of this capability was underscored recently when Italy blocked the export of 250,000 doses to Australia. While the government says it won't affect Australia's rollout, it does highlight the problem of vaccine nationalism.
PAUL KELLY:
This is a global pandemic, which needs a global response. And wherever the virus is, anywhere in the world, it can spread again to anywhere else in the world. And I think that is a really crucial point in relation to the emergence of variants of concern. They're emerging because of an uncontrolled pandemic. And as soon as we can get control of that pandemic, in every country, that will help every country.
REPORTER:
In Europe, the pandemic is far from under control. And the vaccination rates are lagging. France and Germany moved in unison last week to lift the ban on giving the vaccine to the over 65s. But the seeds of doubt have already been sown.
I know the politics has got nothing to do with the science. But it matters, doesn't it, because you need a lot of people to take the vaccine, a high percentage of a population needs to take it for it to be effective?
MATTHEW SNAPE:
Absolutely. I mean, and that means so that fewer people get disease, first and foremost, because they've had the vaccine. And we do expect that as more people get it, there'll be reduced transmission of the virus, which is obviously really important as well. And that needs a high uptake in the community.
REPORTER:
Scientists insist the political noise does not seep through the Oxford sandstone, where they're continuing to work around the clock to help get life back to normal. But they warn an Australia with open borders once again has to mean an increase in the infection rate.
MATTHEW SNAPE:
Australia will be living with this virus for decades. And it will have to make a decision what proportion of the population needs to be immunised before they will open up the borders and accept the virus will be spreading and that some people will get sick from it because no vaccine is 100 per cent effective.
REPORTER:
For now though, there seems to be agreement, it should be all about jabs in arms, not vials on shelves.
MAHESHI RAMASAMY:
Doesn't matter which vaccine you're offered, if you're offered it, take it.
MATTHEW SNAPE:
And people should have no hesitation in taking either vaccine.
PAUL KELLY:
I really do encourage all Australians, when your turn comes up, to think about making an appointment and getting that vaccine done.
Contact
