The Pfizer vaccine apparently works against some mutations in coronavirus variants from South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Getty / Fredrik Lerneryd
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Coronavirus variants that have torn apart the United Kingdom and South Africa over the past month are being scrutinized in laboratories around the world as scientists try to determine how much of a threat the mutated strains pose. One of the major concerns is that new variants could evade current vaccinations, including the two currently being developed by Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna in the US.
A Reuters report describing a new study on Thursday showed that Pfizer’s vaccine could effectively neutralize the variant with a mutation known as N501Y, which originated in variants known in South Africa and the British variant, if B.1.1.7, occurs independently. The study has yet to be peer-reviewed, but can be found on preprint depot bioRxiv.
“This is preliminary, but it certainly indicates that the vaccine will also work against these variants,” said Larisa Labzin, an immunologist at the University of Queensland.
Coronaviruses constantly mutate as they pass from person to person and the virus usually does not change. But a handful of mutations, including those in the B.1.1.7 strain, appear to spread the virus faster. These changes occur in the virus’ peak, a critical protein that enables the virus to enter and hijack human cells.
When the news that B.1.1.7 was more transferable first became known, there was reason to be cautious. The new information was initially provided by Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a British press conference on 19 December. While scientists expressed concern, it was too early to tell how the mutations could change the characteristics of the virus. Simply put, we needed more data.
It is important that the new variant does not appear to be more deadly, as Johnson mentioned in his press. “There is no evidence that the variant causes serious illness or higher mortality, but it seems to be transmitted significantly more easily,” he said. However, scientists were dissatisfied with the possibility of evading current vaccines.
They took antibodies from people vaccinated with the vaccine and looked at whether the antibodies could still stop the new variant, with a critical change in their protein.
But in the weeks that followed, the variant appeared in numerous places around the world, including the US and Australia, where it violated the hotel quarantine system and forced the city of Brisbane to an immediate three-day closure. Greater concern has raged around the world and many countries have stepped up their investigation into their borders or closed it directly to British travelers.
To test the ability of current vaccines against the new variant, Pfizer uses blood serum from 20 individuals who received the vaccine. This serum contains antibodies against the vaccine and can be tested in the laboratory against viruses with different mutations. The interim results look good.
“We’ve now tested 16 different mutations, and none of them have really had a significant impact. That’s the good news,” Phil Dormitzer, a vaccine scientist for Pfizer, told Reuters.
“That doesn’t mean the 17th.”
It is critical to test other aspects of the immune response, Labzin said, such as how specialized white blood cells respond to an infection with the variant after vaccination. Other mutations in the variants will also be investigated.
“There are more mutations in the ear protein than just the one they tested in this variant, but that’s definitely positive news,” she said.
If the variant were to mutate in such a way that it began to reduce the effectiveness of current vaccines, we would not have to completely retreat to the drawing board. This is due to the ‘plug-n-play’ nature of Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines. These vaccines use mRNA and can be “recoded” within a few months to combat new variants. But, while technology makes it possible, it has never been tested before.
The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.