News24.com | WATCH | Government could face 'tough choices' over vaccines

The government could face some "tough choices" if the vaccine produced by AstraZeneca and Oxford University is found to be less effective than others, a former Department of Health director of immunisation has said.

Professor David Salisbury said ministers would need to think "very carefully" about their handling of the vaccine if its efficacy was lower than for other jabs such as those from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine is currently being assessed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in the UK.

Data from two arms of its phase-three trial, announced last week, gave a combined efficacy of 70%.

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