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- A study by Pfizer and researchers from the University of Texas medical branch indicates that the company’s Covid-19 vaccine is effective against coronavirus mutations.
- The study has not yet been peer-reviewed.
- “So now we’ve tested 16 different mutations, and none of them have really had a significant impact. That’s the good news,” Pfizer scientist Phil Dormitzer said Thursday.
- “That doesn’t mean the 17 won’t do it,” he added.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
The Covid-19 vaccine from pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech appears to be effective against 16 different mutations of the coronavirus, according to a study that has not yet undergone peer review.
The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech appeared to work against a key mutation in new highly transmissible variants of the coronavirus discovered in the United Kingdom and South Africa, according to a laboratory study conducted by the American pharmaceutical company.
As Reuters reported, the study, conducted by researchers at Pfizer and the University of Texas Medical Branch, suggests that the vaccine will not need to be modified to work against a seemingly more contagious variant of the coronavirus that emerged in the UK.
However, according to Simon Clarke, associate professor of cell microbiology at the University of Reading, while both variants had some new features in common, the one found in South Africa “has a number of additional mutations” that included more extensive alterations in the spike protein.
The British variant, known as B117, was recently detected in the United States among people who had not traveled to the United Kingdom, indicating a community spread.
Viral mutations are a typical occurrence and there is no indication that any to date have made Covid-19 more dangerous than it already is. And while vaccines can be modified to address new variations, there are still no signs that it is necessary.
“So now we’ve tested 16 different mutations, and none of them have really had a significant impact. That’s the good news,” Pfizer scientist Phil Dormitzer said Thursday. “That doesn’t mean 17 won’t.”
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