Last week, scientists and ministers were concerned that the Botswana Covid variation could prove to be even more dangerous than other variants.
Last Friday, drug firm Pfizer said it was investigating the mutation – labelled Omicron by the World Health Organisation – to assess whether an ‘adjustment’ was needed to its jab.
American pharmaceutical company claimed it was able to develop new drugs in as little as six weeks, and ship them in just three months.
ON MEDICAL MINEFIELD THIS WEEK: SARAH VINE ON WHY SHE THINKS PILLS AREN’T THE ONLY ANSWER FOR DEPRESSION
Yet experts told The Mail on Sunday that there is one jab ready to go that might already be highly effective against this version of the virus: the one developed by French firm Valneva and ordered by the UK Government – but then cancelled.
It could have an advantage over current jabs because the way it’s been made differs.
It contains what is known as a fully inactivated virus – a whole Covid virus that has been neutralised.
Though it can’t cause illness, the immune system reacts by recognising the threat and creating antibodies and other fighter cells, enabling the body to fight off the real virus if it becomes infected.
There is one jab ready to go that might already be highly effective against this version of the virus: the one developed by French firm Valneva and ordered by the UK Government – but then cancelled
Omicron, the’monster’ strain of the virus, was named Friday by the World Health Organisation and has been designated as a variant of concern’ on Friday. It had been discovered in South Africa and reached Britain and Belgium.
Other shots such as Pfizer and AstraZeneca use genetic fragments from one part of the Covid virus, called the spike protein – the section that allows it to bind with healthy cells.
It is this part that’s prone to mutations: the 32 mutations seen in the Botswana variant are all found on the spike protein, which increases the chances that the antibodies developed in response to the above vaccines may not ‘recognise’ it, allowing the virus to slip past.
Since the Valneva jab has more parts of the virus for the immune system to learn from, experts believe it could be more ‘variant-proof’ than the others.
Professor Adam Finn, paediatrician and member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the Government’s advisory group, says there is a ‘strong theoretical argument’ that the Valneva jab could provide protection against the Botswana variant.
‘This is potentially a more resilient vaccine,’ he said.
‘Obviously we’d need to look at how it reacts to this particular variant but I think there’s a strong argument for doing that right now.’
The trial data published last month showed that two Valneva doses were 95% effective for preventing infection. A total of 4000 participants participated in the study, and there were no serious illnesses.
In December 2020, the UK bought 100 million doses of Valneva on the advice of former vaccine tsar Dame Kate Bingham, who identified it having a ‘broader immune response’ against variants.
Speaking in February, she said: ‘That vaccine [Valneva] I imagine could get used for pre-winter booster injections that can address variants.’
In September however, the UK cancelled the order for Valneva, claiming that the company had violated its supply contract terms. This is denied by Valneva.
Earlier this week, before the discovery of the new variant, Bingham criticised the cancellation of the contract as ‘inexplicable’.
Professor Finn was the chief investigator in the Valneva trials and advised that the government should reconsider Valneva.
‘We have been very focused on several vaccines in this country and it’s never a good idea to bank on one option.
‘You need more than one option with an unpredictable, dangerous variant like this.’
Professor Penny Ward, a pharmaceutical expert at King’s College London, says if studies show significant ‘immune-escape’, then it’s likely the UK would have to run another booster campaign.
According to Professor Wendy Barclay (virologist, Imperial College London), it will be several months until scientists understand the effects of the new version on vaccines.
She added: ‘We believe the current vaccines will still provide protection, but it is possible that for some people this protection might be less.
‘The question is how low will this protection fall to?’