(Adds additional commentary from call and context)
By Jeff Mason and Carl O'Donnell
WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc is likely
to release a new, modified statement about its COVID-19 vaccine
after a data and safety monitoring board expressed concern that
the data in its recent public statement were outdated, U.S.
infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday.
AstraZeneca said results it published on Monday in which the
vaccine had demonstrated 79% efficacy were based on an interim
analysis of data through Feb. 17, and it would now “immediately
engage” with the independent panel monitoring the trial to share
its full analysis.
AstraZeneca will publish up-to-date results from its major
U.S. COVID-19 vaccine trial within 48 hours. It said on Tuesday
it had reviewed the preliminary assessment of its full analysis
and found it to be consistent with the interim report.
Fauci said he was concerned about miscommunication around
COVID-19 vaccine efficacy but was confident a revised statement
from AstraZeneca would dispel any confusion about that shot's
effectiveness.
Fauci and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, both expressed concern about the
trajectory of the pandemic during a briefing with reporters,
despite a vaccination program that has led to 84 million people
in the United States getting one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
"We do have a lot of challenges in front of us with regard
to the high level of daily infections yesterday being 54,974,"
Fauci said. "When you are at that level, I don't think you can
declare victory."
White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt said the
administration was concerned about the new variant of COVID-19
in Brazil and it was having daily discussions with officials in
that country.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Carl O'Donnell, Caroline Humer and
Diona Chiacu
Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bernadette Baum)