Interesting news report here in Australia tonight with a Melbourne immunologist discussing the current understanding on the variable efficacy rates of the three immunisation choices we have gone for here.
Immunisation is still not due to start till March and these are the contenders...
University of Oxford/AstraZeneca
Novavax
Pfizer/BioNTech
The main strategy here is focussed on AstraZeneca but the government hedged their bets with doses also purchased from Pfizer and Novavax.
The comment tonight was that according to current data the AstraZeneca apparently has an efficacy of about 60% whereas the Pfizer and Novavax are up above 90%.
All three should likely protect the person immunised against the worst effects of Covid but if Australia was actually seeking to achieve herd immunity it would require far greater immunisation (closer to 100% of the population) with AstraZeneca whereas it might be possible to achieve herd immunity with far less of the population (2/3rds perhaps) being actually immunised if one of the other two antivirals was used because of their greater overall effectiveness.
The potential to achieve essential herd immunity is a huge factor and projects a return to a more normal life and business far earlier than otherwise and reinforces Howie’s earlier comment on the vital importance of getting as many of the population immunised as soon as possible.
I’m sure there will be further data to be verified as we go.
In the interim I’m going to lock myself into a room and build myself a new pair of horns... it’d be great if you were all immunised by the time I get back out