A small Israeli study indicates that some of the new coronavirus variants vaccinated people may pose a higher risk of breakthrough infections, although U.S. health officials question the wording used in the preliminary investigation.
These types of cases are called ‘breakthrough infections’, which occur when someone who has completed their COVID-19 vaccination later becomes ill with the virus.
The preprint, which was published Friday and not peer-reviewed, received attention over the weekend after it was said that the B.1.351 variant is more likely to target people in Israel who use Pfizer Inc. to be infected with PFE.
COVID-19 vaccine, compared to other strains of the virus.
There are several documented variants of concern, including the B.1.351, which was first identified in South Africa; the B.1.1.7, first detected in the United Kingdom; and the P.1 from Brazil, which is considered easily transferable.
The researchers identified eight cases of breakthrough infections caused by the B.1.351 variant and 134 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant from the approximately 400 people included in the study, who were positive for or after the vaccination. tested the virus. The control group of unvaccinated people oddly enough caused only one case by B.1.351.
‘Our results show a reduced effectiveness against the [South African] variant only within a short time (7-13 days after the second dose) as all the breakthrough cases we saw were in this time frame, ‘said Adi Stern, a professor at the University of Tel Aviv and one of the co-authors , said in an email. “However, the reservation is again that our sample size is small and this requires further investigation.”
When asked about the study, federal health officials on Monday underestimated the accuracy of the findings.
“The pre-pressure was as confusing as you could be,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, told reporters during a White House briefing. ‘It made you seem more inclined to take the [B.1.]351 if you have in fact been vaccinated against the mRNA. That was not the case. If you were to become infected with something, you would become infected with the harder variant, which is 351. This does not mean that you have a greater chance of getting it. ‘
Pfizer addressed questions about the study to the authors.
What we know so far about vaccines and variants
Fauci said clinical data so far point to the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech’s BNTX,
as well as Moderna Inc. MRNA,
still provides protection against B.1.1.7, but the effectiveness of the vaccine is thought to be declining against the B.1.351 variant, which is currently a less common strain of the virus, at least in the US
Both mRNA vaccines had a very high efficacy in phase 3 clinical trials, with each reporting rate being approximately 95%, although the trials were conducted last fall, before two of these new variants were detected. According to the at least one preprint study published by the Mayo Clinic in February, the actual efficacy rate for both of these vaccines drops closer to 89%, but it is still considered a very strong protection rate.
Here’s what we know – and do not know – about ‘breakthrough infections’
While taking COVID-19 shots can dramatically reduce the possibility of someone being infected with the virus, breakthrough infections for the vaccinated are still possible, especially with these new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus spreading around the world.
Moderna said last month that clinical trials would begin, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, on a vaccine specifically aimed at protecting against the B.1.351 variant. Pfizer is also experimenting with a booster shot and a new vaccine specifically targeted at the South African variant.
‘What we do know when these breakthrough infections occur is that they occur with fewer symptoms, fewer viruses, [and] less transmissible virus, ”said dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday during the same briefing. “We are still learning about the transmissibility of this virus in the context of these breakthrough infections.”
Breakthrough infections can also occur if immunity declines, the shot is damaged due to something like a storage problem, or someone’s age or medication limits their immune response, Fauci added.
This is why Americans pay close attention to Israel’s vaccination campaign
Of all the countries in the world with vaccination campaigns, Israel has vaccinated the largest percentage of its inhabitants. About 53% of the people in Israel were completely vaccinated according to a government panel on Sunday, according to a government panel. By comparison, according to the CDC, the US has vaccinated about 22% of its though much larger population.
Pfizer’s vaccine is the predominant shot used in Israel’s campaign, and countries that also rely on the drugmaker’s vaccine are curious to see what real data is currently coming from Israel, although there are significant differences between immunization protocols in nations.
The Israeli study also found that the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant is the most dominant form of the virus in Israel (as in the USA), although the B.1.351 (South Africa) strain makes up less than 1% of the cases included in the research.
“There may be a higher vaccine throughput with B.1.351, but it is possible that (a) the efficacy of the vaccine together with introduced non-pharmaceutical interventions remains sufficient to prevent its spread, and / or (b) B.1.1.7
surpasses B.1.351, possibly due to the high transmission rate, ”the researchers concluded.