AstraZeneca says COVID-19 vaccine found 79 percent effective in U.S. trial, no safety concerns

AstraZeneca announced Monday that its vaccine is 79 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms and found no safety concerns with the vaccine.

The trial involved 32,449 participants and also found the vaccine is 100 percent effectiveness at preventing hospitalization, the pharmaceutical firm also said.

"These results add to the growing body of evidence that shows this vaccine is well tolerated and highly effective against all severities of COVID-19 and across all age groups," Mene Pangalos, an AstraZenec executive, said in a statement. "We are confident this vaccine can play an important role in protecting millions of people worldwide against this lethal virus.

The firm now plans to submit its findings to the Food and Drug Administration for approval so that it can distribute millions of doses across the U.S.

Researchers said that the vaccine was stable across all ages and ethnicities, with an increased efficacy rate of 80 percent for those over the age of 65.

This recent test of safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine comes shortly after the European Union cleared the AstraZeneca vaccine from accusations it causes blood clots, according to NPR.