AstraZeneca trial results pave way for US approval

(NBC) – AstraZeneca said its COVID-19 vaccine was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic illness in a large trial in the United States, Chile and Peru, paving the way for it to apply for US approval.

It added that the vaccine developed with Oxford University was 100% effective against severe or critical disease and hospitalization and was safe.

The drugmaker Monday released results of the late-stage human trial study of more than 32,000 volunteers across all age groups.

The data will give credence to the British shot after results from earlier, separate late-stage studies raised questions about the robustness of the data.

It will also help allay safety concerns that have disrupted its use in the European Union after a small number of reports of rare blood clots in people who have received the shot.