Several preliminary laboratory results suggest that the Pfizer / BioNTech coronavirus vaccine will be effective against new, more contagious coronavirus strains first identified in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
As in previous studies, antibodies were slightly more effective against the virus with three key mutations in the variant identified in South Africa. However, Pfizer and BioNTech said, “The small differences in viral neutralization observed in these studies are unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in vaccine efficacy.”
The researchers designed laboratory versions of the virus that carry some of the mutations found in the variants. They tested them against blood taken from 20 people who received two doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine as part of a clinical trial.
The laboratory study – conducted by researchers at Pfizer and the University of Texas Medical Branch – did not test all mutations found in the variants, and the researchers note that “clinical data are needed for firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the variant virus vaccine.”
The results were posted on the bioRxiv prepress server on Wednesday and have not yet been evaluated by colleagues or published in a medical journal.
Pfizer and BioNTech said on Wednesday that a new variant vaccine does not appear to be necessary. In a press release, they said they will continue to monitor the strains and conduct studies to monitor how effective the vaccine is in the real world. Pfizer said earlier this week that it was “laying the groundwork” to create a vaccine booster that could respond to coronavirus variants if needed.
Moderna, the maker of the other U.S.-authorized coronavirus vaccine, said this week that its Covid-19 vaccine has created antibodies that neutralize coronavirus variants first found in the United Kingdom and South Africa and plans to test a booster against “From – an abundance of precaution ”.
## Vaccines