Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Sunday that existing coronavirus vaccines were likely to be about 20% less effective against virus strains believed to have come from South Africa and Brazil – but vaccines will continue to provide significant protection.
“I think there’s a ground rule, we can assume that vaccines will probably be 20% less effective against these new variants in Brazil and South Africa, which has moved some key regions of the proteins we target with our vaccines,” Gottlieb, who is on Pfizer’s board of directors, told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
However, Gottlieb added: “mRNA vaccines … are very effective. And so, even if we see a reduction in the effectiveness of these vaccines and it may not be as profound with these vaccines, you will still receive very good protection with these vaccines. ”
“Vaccines will probably be 20% less effective,” against some of the new ones # Covid19 strains – especially variant B1351 found in South Africa – but @ScottGottliebMD emphasizes that vaccines are still effective. pic.twitter.com/ZAFc0F2EQc
– Make the nation (@FaceTheNation) February 7, 2021
Gottlieb continued that “we may also be able to develop in a timely manner, perhaps in four or six months, a consensus strain that ripens in a lot of different variations that we see have boosters available for the fall. . So I think there’s a reasonable chance that we’ll be able to stay in the face of this virus as it moves. ”
The former FDA chief added that he remains particularly concerned about the spread of another variant, which is believed to have originated in England, Florida and Southern California.
“It simply came to our notice then [Florida is] going to have another wave of infection, it could have a persistent infection because [the British strain] it is gaining a better position in that part of the country, “he added.