Americans should be vaccinated as soon as possible when their turn comes, and they should not wait for the next generation of vaccines in the hope of more protection against the variants, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist.
“You need to be vaccinated when available, as quickly and expeditiously as possible across the country,” said Fauci during a meeting of the White House COVID-19 Response Team on Monday. “The reason for this is that there is a fact that permeates virology, that is, that viruses cannot mutate if they do not replicate.”
Widespread vaccination prevents the SARS-CoV-2 virus from having an “open playing field,” said Fauci. Immediate vaccination can protect people from disease, infection and prevent emerging strains in the United States and abroad.
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Early data suggest that vaccines will remain effective against variants, although a strain, in particular, first detected in South Africa, has diminished the vaccine’s effectiveness.
Moderna, for example, announced last week that the test results showed no significant impact on the vaccine’s effectiveness in neutralizing the virus, despite the introduction of new variants, according to a press release. However, the company will move forward with plans to test a booster injection “to further increase neutralizing titers against emerging strains”, as well as to advance another candidate for variant reinforcement specifically against the South African variant.
Pfizer and BioNTech have already expressed confidence in their COVID-19 vaccine’s ability to protect against new variants and previously touted flexibility in the mRNA vaccine platform to adjust vaccines, if necessary.
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Meanwhile, new results in a vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson revealed that the vaccine was 72% effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 in the U.S., but dropped to 66% in a larger study conducted worldwide.
J&J expects its candidate vaccine to be effective against variant strains, and the company plans to file an application for emergency use authorization (USA) in the United States in early February, with the product ready for shipment immediately after authorization.
Another vaccine in development, developed by Novavax, highlighted the South African strain’s ability to decrease the vaccine’s effectiveness. Recent findings from Novavax reveal that its vaccine is 89% effective against COVID-19, but has dropped to 60% among trial volunteers in South Africa. Overall, protection against the South African variant was 49%, said the company.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said people can take a variety of measures to protect themselves against variants amid the high number of cases and emerging strains.
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“First, wear a mask and stand two meters away when you are in public and close to other people who do not live in your home,” said Walensky during the interview. “Second, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated areas. Third, now is not the time to travel, but if you have to travel, you should wear a mask and follow other local and CDC guidelines to protect yourself and others while traveling. And finally, get vaccinated when it’s your turn. “
The orientation of health officials has not changed amid emerging variants, but officials have urged the public to double mitigation measures to protect themselves against the new virus and its emerging strains.
Fox News’ Alexandria Hein contributed to this article.