Have we bet too much on him?
Inexpensive, easy to transport, storable in conventional refrigerators, when its competitors require a cold cure at -70 or -20 ° ... AstraZeneca's vaccine candidate seemed to tick all the boxes to speed up the immunization campaign on the site. Old continent.
But while the opinion of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) must be delivered this Friday afternoon, paving the way for its marketing, doubts and questions are mounting.
It was the Germans who drew the first on Thursday, even before, a process rare enough to be underlined, the recommendations of the EMA.
Experts from across the Rhine consider the data to be "insufficient" to assess the effectiveness of the vaccine in people over 65 years of age.
As a result, they only recommend it for the time being at 18-64 years old.
“Does this foreshadow the EMA's decision?
Perhaps, slips a government source.
It is certain that restricting it to those under 65, so to the less serious cases, would not help our affairs too much.
"
For France, out of the question to grill the stages.
After the European green light, the High Authority for Health (HAS) is preparing to spend a few sleepless nights to in turn give a quick opinion.
“Probably at the beginning of the week,” she confirms.
Adapt the strategy
“You need the whole file to judge.
For now, we only have the results of the Lancet
(Editor's note: a prestigious scientific journal)
.
We see significant effectiveness in young subjects, but the virtual absence of older people, "raises infectious disease specialist Jean-Daniel Lelièvre, vaccine expert at Has.
Born from the alliance between the Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, this vaccine is more classic than those known as messenger RNA from Pfizer and Moderna.
A known attenuated virus is injected into the patient's arm, in this case a chimpanzee adenovirus, the genetic makeup of which has been modified.
Objective: to trigger an immune response.
With a production announced on a large scale, countries are counting on him to boost their numbers of immunized (1.4 million this Thursday in France).
Would a vaccination not recommended for the elderly make a difference?
“Yes, that would have an impact, which we would deal with.
We have always said that we would adapt and we will do it, ”we try to reassure the Ministry of Health.
"The number of doses available, which we vaccinate ... obviously that changes things," says Professor Lelièvre.
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The laboratory defends its tests.
“Reports that vaccine efficacy is low in people over 65 do not accurately reflect all of the most recent data.
The latest analyzes confirm the efficacy of the vaccine in this age group, ”he wrote to us.
"The EU has invested 2.7 billion euros to help its development"
But another pitfall is posed on the path to immunity.
The manufacturer is experiencing delays and will ultimately deliver to France only 30% of the volume initially planned.
“AstraZeneca must be transparent: how many doses has it already produced?
Or?
Who were they delivered to if so?
»Thunders the MEP (PPE), member of the public health committee, Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé.
“The EU has invested 2.7 billion euros to help its development.
She has every legitimacy to ask the reasons for her delay and to be intransigent according to their nature, ”she continues.
At stake, do not remove bricks from the already fragile wall that stands between the virus and us.