Podcasts Other The Mike Hosking Breakfast Graham Le Gros: Medical expert on South Africa suspending the AstraZenica Covid-19 vaccine

Graham Le Gros: Medical expert on South Africa suspending the AstraZenica Covid-19 vaccine

Published: Feb. 8, 2021, 8:57 p.m.

A New Zealand medical expert says every Covid 19 vaccine will have strengths, and weaknesses.
South Africa has stopped using the AstraZenica vaccine - over a study suggesting it provided minimal protection against the South African strain.
The variant, first identified in South Africa in mid-November, has since been confirmed in cases in New Zealand's borders.
Researchers found the vaccine isn't effective in younger people, with mild disease.
Malaghan Institute research director Graham Le Gros told Mike Hosking it could still be very useful for other groups.
"What they still say is that it will help with older people with severe disease and hospitalisations, it will still work in the right situation."
New Zealand is on track to get 250,000 doses of the AstraZenica vaccine by July.
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