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The Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine may reduce transmission of the virus, rather than simply reducing the severity of disease, UK researchers have suggested. The rate of positive PCR tests declined by about half after two doses, according to preliminary results by researchers at the University of Oxford that have yet to be peer reviewed. (Nedelman and Smith-Spark, 2/3)

The vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca not only protects people from serious illness and death but also substantially slows the transmission of the virus, according to a new study — a finding that underscores the importance of mass vaccination as a path out of the pandemic. The study by researchers at the University of Oxford is the first to document evidence that any coronavirus vaccine can reduce transmission of the virus. (2/2)

Britain’s health secretary says a new study showing that a single dose of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine provides a high level of protection for 12 weeks supports the government’s strategy of delaying the second shot so that initial doses can be delivered to more people. Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s comments Wednesday came after Oxford released a study showing that the vaccine cut transmission of the coronavirus by two-thirds and prevented severe disease. The study has not been peer-reviewed yet, but it was greeted with excitement by British officials under pressure to justify their decision to delay the second dose. (2/3)

The Oxford research was greeted with excitement by U.K. officials under pressure to justify their decision to delay the second dose for up to 12 weeks. “That reduction in transmission, as well as the fact there is no hospitalizations, the combination of that is very good news. And it categorically supports the strategy we’ve been taking on having a 12-week gap between the doses,” [Health Secretary Matt] Hancock told Sky News. (2/3)

France will only administer the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to people under age 65, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday after the government’s health advisory body cited a lack of sufficient data about its effectiveness in older people. The decision could shake up the French vaccination strategy, because the country has prioritized nursing home residents and people over 75. France had counted on the AstraZeneca vaccine for a large part of its upcoming inoculations, until the company announced delays affecting countries around Europe and the world. (2/2)

Swedish health officials are not recommending people over the age of 65 receive AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. “The European Medicines Agency (EMA) considers that Astra Zeneca's vaccine is safe to use and provides a good immune response,” the Swedish Public Health Agency said in a statement Tuesday. “However, there is still no data on how effective the vaccine is in protecting against severe covid-19 disease in the older age groups.” (Pitofsky, 2/2)