The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 is also effective against the more infectious Brazilian strain, according to a new study published in the journal New England Journal of Medicine.
The findings of the joint study by the pharmaceutical company and the University of Texas showed that the neutralising ability of the dose was comparable to the vaccine’s effect on the less dangerous mutation of the virus from last year.
Blood samples were taken from people who had previously received a dose of the Pfizer vaccine, which was then put into contact with an artificially created virus with the same P.1 variant as the Brazilian virus, which was successfully neutralised by the vaccine.
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Earlier studies of the vaccine have also proven that the shot protects against the more infectious strains first detected in the UK and in South Africa, however, the latter mutation may reduce protective antibodies produced by the vaccine.
The vaccine producer is considering testing a third booster dose of the vaccine as well as creating another version of the dose targeting the variant in order to better understand the immune response.
Lauren Walker
The Brussels Times