More preliminary results in the laboratory suggest that the Pfizer / BioNTech coronavirus vaccine will be effective against new, more contagious strains of coronavirus first identified in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
As in previous studies, antibodies were slightly less effective against the virus, with three major mutations in the variant identified in South Africa. However, Pfizer and BioNTech said, “the small differences in viral neutralization seen in these studies are unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in vaccine efficacy ”.
The researchers developed laboratory versions of the virus that carry some of the mutations found in the variants. They tested them on blood collected from 20 people who received two doses of the 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 of the mutations found in the variants, and the researchers note that “clinical data is necessary for firm conclusions about the efficacy of the vaccine against variant viruses” .
The results were published on Wednesday on the bioRxiv prepress server and have not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.
Pfizer and BioNTech said on Wednesday that a new vaccine against the variants does not appear to be necessary. In a press release, they said they would continue to monitor strains and conduct studies to monitor the vaccine’s effectiveness in the real world. Pfizer said earlier this week that it was “laying the groundwork” to create a booster vaccine that could respond to coronavirus variants, if necessary.
Moderna, maker of the other coronavirus vaccine authorized in the United States, said this week that its Covid-19 vaccine creates antibodies that neutralize the coronavirus variants found first in the United Kingdom and South Africa, and plans to test a booster against the variants “For an abundance of caution”.
## Vaccines