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February 8, 2021

South Africa Halts Rollout of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine
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South Africa has halted plans to roll out the Oxford-Astra Zeneca
vaccine after it showed minimal efficacy in preventing mild and moderate
COVID-19 in people infected by the dominant coronavirus variant which
has been overwhelming South Africa's health system. Meanwhile, the
British government moved to reassure the public that the Oxford-Astra
Zeneca vaccine prevents death and severe illness and is effective
against the variant that's come to dominate cases in the U.K.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified
nearly 700 U.S. infections from variants first reported in the U.K.,
South Africa and Brazil that may have evolved to spread more rapidly -
or to reinfect people who have already had COVID-19.


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