Study suggests Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine may only partially protect against Omicron

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The Omicron variant of the coronavirus can partially evade the safety from two doses of Pfizer Inc and companion BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, the analysis head of a laboratory on the Africa Well being Analysis Institute in South Africa stated on Tuesday.

Nonetheless, the examine confirmed that blood from individuals who had obtained two doses of the vaccine and had a previous an infection have been principally in a position to neutralize the variant, suggesting that booster doses of the vaccine may assist to fend off an infection.

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Alex Sigal, a professor on the Africa Well being Analysis Institute, stated on Twitter there was “a really giant drop” in neutralization of the Omicron variant relative to an earlier pressure of COVID-19.

The lab examined blood from 12 individuals who had been vaccinated with two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, in line with a manuscript posted on the web site for his lab. The preliminary information within the manuscript has not but been peer reviewed.

Blood from 5 out of six individuals who had been vaccinated in addition to beforehand contaminated with COVID-19 nonetheless neutralized the Omicron variant, the manuscript stated.

“These outcomes are higher than I anticipated. The extra antibodies you bought, the extra likelihood you’ll be shielded from Omicron,” Sigal stated on Twitter.

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He stated the lab had not examined the variant in opposition to blood from individuals who had obtained a booster dose, as a result of they aren’t accessible in South Africa but.

Based on the manuscript, the lab noticed a 41-fold decline in ranges of neutralizing antibodies in opposition to the Omicron variant.

Sigal stated on Twitter that determine is prone to be adjusted after his lab does extra experiments.

Whereas neutralizing antibodies are an indicator of the physique’s immune response, scientists imagine different kinds of cells akin to B-cells and T-cells are also stimulated by the vaccines and assist defend in opposition to the results of the coronavirus.

The preliminary information doesn’t point out that the vaccine is much less in a position to forestall extreme sickness or loss of life. Whereas lab exams are underneath approach, BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin stated final week “we expect it’s doubtless that individuals may have substantial safety in opposition to extreme illness attributable to Omicron.”

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The Omicron variant, first detected in southern Africa final month, has triggered alarms globally of one other surge in infections, with greater than two dozen nations from Japan to the USA reporting instances.

The World Well being Group categorized it on Nov. 26 as a “variant of concern,” however stated there was no proof to assist the necessity for brand spanking new vaccines particularly designed to sort out the Omicron variant with its many mutations.

There may be not vital information but on how vaccines from Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and different drugmakers maintain up in opposition to the brand new variant. All of the producers, together with Pfizer and BioNTech, are anticipated to launch their very own information inside weeks.

BioNTech’s Sahin advised NBC Information on Tuesday that the drugmaker has information approaching Wednesday or Thursday associated to the brand new variant.

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Prime U.S. infectious illness professional Dr. Anthony Fauci stated on Tuesday that preliminary proof signifies that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus doubtless has a better diploma of transmissibility however is much less extreme.

He stated the USA was doing its personal exams to find out the protectiveness of the present vaccines in opposition to the variant and expects outcomes someday subsequent week.

Umer Raffat, an analyst for Evercore ISI, cautioned in opposition to studying an excessive amount of right into a single examine, noting there was vital variability in measuring declines in antibody ranges in earlier lab research.

“Let’s wait for added research to attract a mosaic,” he stated.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru and Michael Erman in New Jersey; Enhancing by Shounak Dasgupta, Lisa Shumaker, Peter Cooney and Kim Coghill)