South African AZ vaccine halt marks start of variant-guided policies

Facing a challenging viral variant gone dominant, South Africa is pioneering a phased approach to COVID-19 vaccine distribution focused on preventing hospitalizations caused by the new strain. 

South Africa’s new strategy was announced at a press conference Sunday, alongside preliminary data suggesting the adenoviral vector vaccine from  AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NASDAQ:AZN) was ineffective at preventing mild disease caused by the B.1.351 (501Y.V2) strain first detected in South Africa. The data prompted the government’s decision to halt distribution of AstraZeneca’s vaccine until it has gathered more data about its efficacy against the South African variant...