South Africa said it will stop using the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine after data emerged showing it provided only minimal protection against mild and moderate infections caused by the new, more contagious virus variant first seen in the country.
The news was announced on Sunday, almost a week after 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine arrived in South Africa. Health officials said if further research shows that the vaccine could protect against more severe cases of coronavirus, the government will consider using it, The New York Times reports.
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