AstraZeneca shot 79 percent effective in US, Chile, Peru trials

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

The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca was 79 percent effective in preventing symptomatic illness a large trial in the United States, Chile and Peru, the company said on Monday, paving the way for its long-awaited application for US approval. The vaccine was found to be 100 percent effective against severe or critical disease and hospitalisation and was safe, the drugmaker said on Monday, as it released results of the late-stage human trial study of more than 32,000 volunteers across all age groups. The study also found the vaccine was effective across all ages, including older people, which previous studies in other countries had raised concerns over.