Amid rollout imbroglio, AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine has at least one fresh start: A new brand name

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has an official name, Vaxzevria, now approved in Europe. But is a new name enough to hurdle its rollout communication glitches and now wavering vaccine confidence? Probably not on its own. However, some do see another hope on the horizon for AstraZeneca’s vaccine—the FDA. AZ plans to apply for FDA emergency use authorization in the first half of April, its executives have said, and the U.S. regulatory body may represent the company's best chance to improve public opinion of its shot. The agency’s endorsement “will go a good way to restoring confidence” Ann Falsey, M.D., a vaccine scientist and investigator on the U.S. clinical trial, told Nature in an article published after AZ restated its efficacy data last week. She reiterated that the 'final story is, the results for the final analysis are great. They look very similar to the interim analysis.'