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Fortune or foresight? AstraZeneca, Oxford stories clash on Covid-19 vaccine

The discrepancy, reported for the first time by Reuters, centres on the regimen administered to a smaller group of volunteers in the late-stage trials, of half a dose followed by a full dose

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Independent scientists have expressed concerns that the AstraZeneca-Oxford half-dose group - with just over 2,700 participants - was too small to yield a robust efficacy result. (Bloomberg)

Ludwig Burger, Kate Kelland, Abhirup Roy | Reuters London
AstraZeneca and Oxford University have given conflicting accounts of how they came upon the most effective dosing pattern for their Covid-19 vaccine, a rare instance of public dissension between major institutions collaborating on a pivotal project.

The discrepancy, reported for the first time by Reuters, centres on the regimen administered to a smaller group of volunteers in the late-stage trials, of half a dose followed by a full dose. This diverged from the original plan of two full doses, given to the majority of participants.

The half-dose pattern was found to be 90% effective, versus the 62% success rate of the two-full-dose