Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 may be much less effective than the previous Omicron virus strain.
The African Health Research Institute (AHRI), discovered that Omicron-resistant antibodies are 40 times more common in Pfizer vaccine recipients than for any other variants.
Pre-print studies, which were made public Tuesday, are subject to peer-review. They indicate that vaccines could have less effectiveness against the South African strain discovered last month.
However, it is impossible to draw conclusions from this. Furthermore, researchers don’t know how likely Omicron variants of infection are to infect vaccinated people more than any other strains.
As of Tuesday night, the new strain has been identified in at least 19 U.S. States and almost 50 countries around the world. It is believed to be the most infectious variant of the virus.
Researchers discovered that Pfizer BioNTech vaccine had forty times as many antibodies against the Omicron variant of the virus than other types.
The AHRI Research Team collected samples from twelve people who had been vaccinated against the Pfizer vaccine.
Participants had not yet received booster shots.
Researchers analysed blood samples and looked for antibodies capable of preventing infection by the new strain.
The Pfizer vaccine works well against most other Covid strains, but it is not effective against the Delta variant. However, many Omicron mutations seem to be immune to many of these antibodies.
However, the study did not provide information about how booster shots (which have been administered to more than 45 million Americans so far) can affect one’s ability avoid infection.
Omicron was immediately discovered by South Africa’s health officials.
More than 70 individuals in the country were affected by this variant, and many of them had been fully vaccinated.
There are more than 50 mutations in this virus strain, which is higher than any other virus strain, and 30 of them on the spike protein. This part of virus the vaccines aim to eradicate.
South African officials also claimed that this variant can bypass the natural immunity of people who have had Covid infections in the past.
Vaccine manufacturers in America worked quickly to react to the news of the new variant, with BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson both announcing they were working on an Omicron specific vaccine.
Omicron COVID-19 has been found in 19 states of the United States, Texas the most recent to join on Tuesday
Moderna stated that the booster shot is being developed for this variant. It could also be made available by March, subject regulatory approval.
60 percent of Americans have been fully vaccinated against Covid as of Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s foremost infectious disease expert, stated to AFP that he has analyzed data from South Africa and concluded that this variant of HIV is not more dangerous than the Delta variant.
BioNTech researchers are continuing to investigate the variant. They plan on revealing their findings regarding the Omicron, as well as how it interacts and the vaccines, in the near-term.