AstraZeneca CEO says smaller first dose in Covid-19 vaccine is 'big plus'

Being able to vaccinate more people faster is a really a big plus, he told a briefing

AstraZeneca's chief executive officer Pascal Soriot said on Monday that the lower first dose of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine meant more people can be vaccinated more quickly, as the British drugmaker unveiled interim late-stage trial results.

"Being able to vaccinate more people faster is really a big plus," he told a briefing.

Read: AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine shows 70% efficacy

The British drugmaker said on Monday its vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be around 90 per cent effective without any serious side effects.

The vaccine developed by Oxford University was most effective when it was administered as a half dose followed by a full dose at least one month apart, rather than as two full doses at least one month apart.