Pfizer claims efficacy of Vaccine against new UK Coronavirus Strain

TNI Bureau: Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have claimed that their vaccine seems to be effective against the new mutation that have spread widely in Britain, UK. The new mutation has increased the transmissible rate of the virus amongst the human.

There was an air of speculation that the vaccine may not be effective against the virus. The new mutation may result in escaping the antibody neutralisation produced by the vaccine. However, one of the top experts of Pfizer’s vaccine, Phil Dormitzer, said that the vaccine has been effective against 16 mutations. He further added that the study was conducted on the blood samples taken from the vaccinated people. The results are limited as it does not reflect upon the full set of mutation found in the new variants.

However, the E484K mutation in South Africa remains a big concern. Some scientists claimed that the vaccine might not be effective against the new strain found in South Africa. Simon Clarke, an associate Prof of Cellular microbiology stated that the additional mutation is found in the new strain of the virus in South Africa.

Pfizer-BioNTech uses synthetic messenger RNA technology that can address the new mutation in the virus. All the necessary changes wquld be made within six weeks. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention administered 59,19,418 first doses of vaccine and distributed 21,419,800 doses.

The US Food and Drug Administration had allowed the emergency authorisation of Pfizer-BioNTech on December 11, 2020. Around 18,93,360 first dozes of Pfizer-BioNTech were administered by December 23, 2020.