Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Sunday that existing coronavirus vaccines would likely be about 20 percent less effective against strains of the virus believed to come from South Africa and Brazil – but the vaccines will still provide significant protection. offer.
“I think there is a rule of thumb that we can assume that the vaccines will probably be about 20 percent less effective against these new variants from Brazil and South Africa, which have mutated some key regions of the protein that we are targeting with our vaccines. ”Gottlieb, who is on the Pfizer board, said on CBS ‘Face the Nation.’
However, Gottlieb added, “The mRNA vaccines… are very effective. And so even if we see a reduction in the efficacy of those vaccines, and it may not be that profound with those vaccines, you still get very good protection with those vaccines. “
“The vaccines are likely to be about 20% less effective,” against some of the new ones #COVID-19 strains – particularly the B1351 variety found in South Africa – but @RTLnews underlines that the vaccines are still effective. pic.twitter.com/ZAFc0F2EQc
– Face 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 binds many of the different varieties we see in having boosters available for fall. So I think there is a reasonable chance we can stay ahead of this virus while it mutates. “
The former FDA chief added that he remains particularly concerned about the spread of another variant, believed to be from England, Florida and Southern California.
‘And while I don’t think so [Florida is] If they catch an infection again, they can get a persistent high infection because [the British strain] is gaining a foothold in that part of the country, ”he added.