We have good news on the vaccine!
The vaccine that is currently being used against covid-19 in the European Union is produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, and these companies have released a statement confirming the efficacy of their jab against mutations. This will come as good news to governments and citizens who have worried about the potential of new mutations resisting the immune response created by the vaccine.
There were worries that the strain thought to have originated in South Africa (1.351) could be resistant to the vaccine. However, Pfizer has sought to put those worries to bed, saying that the ‘small differences’ caused by mutations ‘are unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the vaccine’.
Another slither of good news is that it is also thought to be effective against the British variant (B.1.1.7), which has been detected in numerous countries now. The study was conducted using blood obtained from people who had already received the vaccine, and the statement doesn’t mention efficacy against the Brazillian variant (P.1). However, both companies say that they are ready to start working on a solution if a variant is found to be resistant to the existing jab.
If you’d like more information on the pandemic and vaccinations, you can consult the World Health Organisation website.