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The Pfizer vaccine causes a strong response against two prominent COVID-19 variants, according to a new study.
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The variants – first found in the UK and South Africa – sparked concerns that vaccines might not work for them.
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The study appears to refute that theory, but the results are preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed.
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The Pfizer vaccine could protect against the new variants of the coronavirus, according to data from a new study cited by the Guardian.
The vaccine showed promising results when tested against two variants widely feared by health experts, one first found in the UK and another first found in South Africa.
The study involved testing the vaccine using blood samples from vaccinated people, rather than studying its effects on the people themselves.
Scientists at Oxford exposed the samples to each of the virus variants. They used samples from people who had received one dose of vaccine and from people who had taken both.
The data published here has not been peer-reviewed, which means experts are likely to treat it with caution.
Nevertheless, it showed that after two doses of the vaccine the immune response was significant.
William James, an Oxford professor who worked on the data, told The Guardian that the response was “at the level that neutralizes the virus.”
James said his team is “fairly certain” that those who received two doses of Pfizer vaccine will be protected from infection by the variants, the Guardian said.
James continued, “This virus isn’t done evolving yet, but I think as long as the vaccines are rolled out and people are getting second doses, we’ll be in a much better position over the summer than we are now.”
A dose of the vaccine enhanced the response to the virus, but not very much.
This suggests that it is “really important” that people get their second dose of the vaccine, Deborah Dunn-Walters, a professor of immunology at the University of Surrey, told The Guardian.
The data is encouraging, but it is likely that more data will be needed to determine whether the Pfizer vaccine will perform against these new viruses.
A question that could change the course of the pandemic
Whether the vaccines will work against the new variants is a major concern around the world.
The vaccines were developed and tested when the new variants were not yet available. Since then, the virus has evolved.
New variants often involved changes in the spike protein region of the virus, the crucial segment against which vaccines work.
The fear is that mutations could mean that the vaccines can no longer recognize the virus and thus can no longer protect against COVID-19. In that case, new vaccines would have to be developed.
Read more: The latest COVID incentive plan means major changes in Obamacare. Here’s how it can save millions of people money on health insurance.
Two of these variants, the South African and UK variants, are troubling experts
The AstraZeneca vaccine appears to work against the British variant, but data from South Africa suggests the vaccine does not protect against mild to moderate disease of the South African variant, as Dr. Catherine Shuster-Bruce of Insider reported.
This is all the more worrisome that both variants are rapidly spreading around the world. The variant first seen in the UK is spreading across the US, and the variant identified in South Africa has overtaken other variants of the disease in four US states, including California, Governor Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.
As long as the virus can circulate among unvaccinated people, it will continue to mutate and possibly learn to evade the protection afforded by the vaccine currently being distributed, as reported by Insider’s Andrew Dunn, Aria Bendix and Hilary Brueck.
Scientists are working on ways to get ahead of the mutations, including mixing shots of approved vaccines and developing new generations of vaccines.
Read the original article on Business Insider