Pfizer vaccine may only partially protect against Omicron variant: Study

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus can partially evade the protection from two doses of Pfizer Inc and companion BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, the exploration head of a laboratory at the Africa Wellness Investigate Institute in South Africa mentioned on Tuesday.

However, the study showed that blood from people today who had received two doses of the vaccine and had a prior infection ended up largely capable to neutralize the variant, suggesting that booster doses of the vaccine could assist to fend off infection.

Alex Sigal, a professor at the Africa Wellness Investigate Institute, mentioned on Twitter there was “a quite large drop” in neutralization of the Omicron variant relative to an before pressure of COVID-19.

The lab tested blood from 12 people today who had been vaccinated with two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, according to a manuscript posted on the site for his lab. The preliminary facts in the manuscript has not nevertheless been peer reviewed.

Blood from 5 out of 6 people today who had been vaccinated as nicely as previously infected with COVID-19 even now neutralized the Omicron variant, the manuscript mentioned.

“These benefits are superior than I anticipated. The additional antibodies you got, the additional possibility you’ll be secured from Omicron,” Sigal mentioned on Twitter.

He mentioned the lab had not tested the variant from blood from people today who had received a booster dose, simply because they are not offered in South Africa nevertheless.

In accordance to the manuscript, the lab observed a 41-fold decrease in amounts of neutralizing antibodies from the Omicron variant.

Sigal mentioned on Twitter that figure is most likely to be altered after his lab does additional experiments.

While neutralizing antibodies are an indicator of the body’s immune response, researchers imagine other forms of cells these types of as B-cells and T-cells also are stimulated by the vaccines and assist shield from the effects of the coronavirus.

The Omicron variant, initially detected in southern Africa previous thirty day period, has triggered alarms globally of an additional surge in infections, with additional than two dozen international locations from Japan to the United States reporting cases.

The Planet Wellness Business labeled it on Nov. 26 as a “variant of problem,” but mentioned there was no evidence to support the will need for new vaccines especially designed to deal with the Omicron variant with its several mutations.

There is not major facts nevertheless on how vaccines from Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and other drugmakers keep up from the new variant. All the makers, including Pfizer and BioNTech, are anticipated to release their own facts within just weeks.

BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told NBC Information on Tuesday that the drugmaker has facts coming on Wednesday or Thursday similar to the new variant.

Prime U.S. infectious condition skilled Dr. Anthony Fauci mentioned on Tuesday that preliminary evidence implies that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus most likely has a increased degree of transmissibility but is fewer serious.

He mentioned the United States was undertaking its own checks to decide the protectiveness of the existing vaccines from the variant and expects benefits someday up coming 7 days.

Umer Raffat, an analyst for Evercore ISI, cautioned from looking through too considerably into a solitary study, noting there has been major variability in measuring declines in antibody amounts in earlier lab reports.

“Let us wait around for further reports to draw a mosaic,” he mentioned.

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

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