India to Brazil, Astra-Oxford vaccine is key to many nations' Covid plan

The Astra vaccine costs a fraction of the price set by Pfizer; it should be easier to deploy far and wide than other shots.

Trial successes from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. have buoyed hopes that a Covid-19 vaccine is coming soon. But much of the world, outside of rich nations like the U.S., is counting on another company’s shot to escape the crisis.

Findings from the final stage of AstraZeneca Plc’s vaccine studies are due to be released shortly, and the stakes for lower- and middle-income nations are immense. The shot developed with the University of Oxford accounts for more than 40% of the supplies going to those countries, based on deals tracked by London-based research firm Airfinity Ltd.

The Astra vaccine costs a fraction