The coronavirus variant first discovered in South Africa is capable of eluding some of the protection of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to a new Israeli study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed.
The study was the work of researchers from Tel Aviv University and Clalit, the largest health organization in Israel. Their hypotheses start after examining almost 400 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and compared them with the same number of infected and unvaccinated people.
The researchers found that the prevalence of , known as B.1.351, among patients who received two doses of the vaccine was about eight times that of the unvaccinated. The data, published this weekend, suggest that the South African strain is more likely to “break” the vaccine’s protection than the original strain, the researchers write in the study.
“Based on patterns in the general population, we would have expected a single case of the South African variant, but we saw eight,” Professor Adi Stern, who led the research, told The Times of Israel. “We can say it’s less effective, but more research is needed to establish exactly how much.”
The new variants are still under study
The new data comes at a time when public health authorities are increasingly concerned that highly contagious variants, which studies show can reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, could stall the global progress of the pandemic. .
Last month, Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued a major warning, telling reporters she was concerned the United States faced “imminent doom” as as variants spread and daily cases of COVID-19 begin to pick up again.
“We have a lot of potential to get out of where we are and reasons for hope, but right now I’m afraid,” said the doctor in connection with the new variants.
The South African strain spreads 50% faster, but is very scarce for now
Israel launched its national vaccination campaign in December prioritizing people aged 60 and over, healthcare workers and people with co-morbid conditions. In February, it was leading the world in vaccinations, inoculating millions of its citizens against the virus.
In January, Pfizer and the Israeli Ministry of Health signed a collaboration agreement to monitor the real-world impact of their vaccine.
The researchers noted that the study’s main caveat was the sample size. The B.1.351 vaccine only accounted for about 1% of all COVID-19 cases, they said. The B.1.1.7 variant, first identified in the UK, is more common.
A few days ago, another new study pointed out that the South African variant spreads up to 50% faster, but
A third dose: possible solution?
As variants spread, drugmakers continue to test whether a third dose would offer more protection.
In February, Pfizer and BioNTech said they were testing a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine to better understand the immune response against new virus variants.
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