The COVID-19 vaccine from pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech appears to be effective against 16 different mutations of the coronavirus, according to a study that has not yet undergone peer review.
As Reuters reported, the study, by researchers at Pfizer and the University of Texas Medical Branch, suggests that the vaccine does not need to be modified to work against an apparently more contagious variant of the coronavirus that originated in the UK.
The British variant, known as B117, was recently discovered in the United States among people who had not traveled to the UK, indicating community spread.
Viral mutations are a typical phenomenon and there is no evidence that COVID-19 has become more dangerous than it already is. And while vaccines can be modified to address new variations, there’s no sign yet that it’s needed.
“So we’ve now tested 16 different mutations, and none of them have really had a significant impact. That’s the good news,” Phil Dormitzer, a scientist at Pfizer, said Thursday. “That doesn’t mean the 17th won’t.”
This article was originally published by Business Insider.
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