AstraZeneca revises Covid vaccine data with lower efficacy rate after accuracy questions

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https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/24/covid-vaccine-astrazeneca-issues-updated-phase-3-trial-data.html

AstraZeneca revises Covid vaccine data with lower efficacy rate after accuracy questions
Published Wed, Mar 24 2021 9:07 PM EDT Updated Wed, Mar 24 2021 9:42 PM EDT
Sara Salinas @saracsalinas

AstraZeneca issued updated phase three trial data for its Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday after facing accuracy questions earlier this week surrounding a preliminary report from its U.S. study.

The company now says its vaccine is 76% effective in protecting against symptomatic cases of virus. A release issued on Monday reported a symptomatic efficacy rate of 79%. The updated report maintains that the shot is 100% effective against severe disease and hospitalization.

A slate of U.S. health officials criticized the company in recent days for what some claimed was data cherry-picking in an effort to make the results appear more favorable.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases revealed on Tuesday it had been informed the U.K.-based company may have included information from its U.S. results that provided an “incomplete view of the efficacy data.”

AstraZeneca said at the time the figures were based on a “pre-specified interim analysis” and vowed to share updated analysis in the coming days.