AstraZeneca says US trial data shows vaccine 79% effective

The data paves the way for the company, which has been embroiled in a safety row in the EU, to apply for US approval for its Covid-19 jab.

AstraZeneca says advanced trial data from a U.S. study on its Covid vaccine shows it is 79 per cent effective. Although AstraZeneca's vaccine has been authorised in more than 50 countries, it has not yet been given the green light in the US. The US study comprised 30,000 volunteers, 20,000 of whom were given the vaccine while the rest got dummy shots. The results were announced Monday. In a statement, AstraZeneca said its Covid-19 vaccine had a 79 per cent efficacy rate at preventing symptomatic Covid and was 100 per cent effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalisation. Investigators said the vaccine was effective across all ages, including older people — which previous studies in other countries had failed to establish.