AstraZeneca study in Brazil: is half a dose enough to generate protection against the coronavirus?

06/13/2021 1:32 PM

• Clarín.com

• Society

Updated 06/13/2021 1:32 PM

An unprecedented experiment started in Brazil could solve one of the main questions around two-dose vaccines against the coronavirus.

Does it serve half a dose?

Does it generate antibodies?

Neighbors from the municipality of Viana began to participate this Sunday in a massive vaccination study to test the efficacy of half a dose of

AstraZeneca

, one of the vaccines that Argentina is also betting on. 

This process is part of a study to determine

if

the half dose of this vaccine generates

the same antibodies as the entire dose

, according to

one of those responsible for the study, José Geraldo Mill, director of research at the Cassiano Antonio University Hospital

, informed the

Globo

chain.

Moraes.

In Viana, in the state of Espírito Santo, north of Rio de Janeiro, it is intended to mass vaccinate

35,000 people

between 18 and 49 years old, which represents the entire population of that city, of almost 80,000 inhabitants, which is not part priority groups to receive the immunizer.

Only until Saturday

, some 20,000 residents

of Viana

had voluntarily registered

to participate in the investigation.

Brazil is the second country, after the United States, with the highest death toll from the coronavirus pandemic (close to half a million).

According to Mill, it is expected that

in six months enough information will be obtained

to determine if the half dose of vaccine is safe to fight the coronavirus.

Participants in the trial will receive the booster dose in twelve weeks, the same timeframe defined by AstraZeneca for the administration of the two doses of the vaccine.

According to those responsible for the project, the application of half doses has already been used to carry out similar studies against yellow fever.

Brazil is the second country, after the United States, with the highest number of deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic (close to half a million) and the third in the number of infected, after the United States and India.

With information from EFE

DD

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