London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

AstraZeneca boasts about UK hospitalizations rate

AstraZeneca boasts about UK hospitalizations rate

The chief executive of AstraZeneca has claimed that its Covid-19 vaccine may provide longer protection against the virus and could be responsible for the seemingly lower hospitalisation rate in the UK.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, Pascal Soriot said his firm’s Covid-19 vaccine may provide longer-lasting immunity than other vaccines. Soriot told the public broadcaster that the government’s decision to roll out the Oxford-developed shot to elderly people in Britain could explain why the UK was not seeing “so many hospitalisations relative to Europe.”

“It’s really interesting when you look at the UK. There was a big peak of infections but not so many hospitalisations relative to Europe. In the UK [the Oxford/AstraZeneca] vaccine was used to vaccinate older people whereas in Europe people thought initially the vaccine doesn’t work in older people,” the pharma boss stated.

Soriot suggested that the vaccine’s capacity to help the body develop T-cell immunity might be a reason for this. T-cells can both attack infected cells themselves while also helping B cells produce antibodies.

“T-cells do matter,” Soriot stated, adding, “it relates to the durability of the response, especially in older people, and this vaccine has been shown to stimulate T-cells to a higher degree in older people.”

According to The Telegraph, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company is preparing to release data showing how its vaccine provides long-term immunity through T-cells despite waning antibody levels.

A recent study suggested that while the Pfizer vaccine engendered a stronger antibody response, the T-cell response is considerably higher in those who received the AstraZeneca shot.

Several EU nations, France, Germany, Spain and Belgium, initially elected not to use the AstraZeneca vaccine in older generations, citing a lack of data on its effectiveness in the elderly. French President Emmanuel Macron even labelled the British vaccine “quasi-ineffective” in the over-65s in January 2021, as the EU started its campaign to inoculate the vulnerable.

While some scientists told The Telegraph that Soriot’s explanation was entirely plausible, professor Jonathan Ball of the University of Nottingham suggested the British population was likely less susceptible to the virus as it had been widely circulating for many months and vaccination rates were generally high.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×