The MHRA Papers - Part 14

The parable of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine

SUMMARY

Hailed as a triumph for British science, the vaccine vanished in a year despite the downplaying of its harms - the long read of a “business as usual” story.

We continue reviewing the minutes of the MHRA’s ​​Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) COVID-19 Vaccines Benefit Risk Expert Working Group meeting.

The Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine was approved in the UK on 30 December  2020, making the UK the first country to do so. The UK ordered 100 million doses—enough to vaccinate 50 million people. Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the development as "a triumph" for British science: "We will now vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible."

Hancock couldn't contain himself when he told the Commons the approval was "a huge British success story" and "the single biggest stride that we've been able to take since this pandemic began."

However, cracks in the data were appearing by the end of January. 

On 22 January, the EWG heard a summary of fatal cases in the UK following vaccination w…