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Updated November 27th, 2021 at 11:24 IST

Pfizer unsure of COVID vaccine's efficacy on 'Omicron'; can launch new one in 100 days

In the event that vaccine-escape variant emerges, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to develop and produce a tailor-made vaccine, said the pharma company

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
Pfizer
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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Pfizer co-manufacturer BioNTech on  Friday stated that it can tweak and launch a new updated version of its COVID-19  mRNA vaccine in just about 100 days if the newly detected 'Omicron' variant of the novel coronavirus spreading in southern Africa is capable of evading the jabs’ protection and the immunity. The pharmaceutical company stated on Nov. 26 that it is already investigating if Pfizer’s current vaccines will be effective in combating the severe symptoms of the Omicron strain which has more than 32 mutations on protein spike, which also makes the variant more virulent.  

“In the event that vaccine-escape variant emerges, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to develop and produce a tailor-made vaccine against that variant in approximately 100 days, subject to regulatory approval," the firm said in a statement obtained by Fox Business on Friday. The company agreed that the variant “significantly differs” from all previously observed ones, according to the statement.

In two weeks, said BioNTech, it can find out if the Pfizer vaccine would be ‘sufficiently effective’ in tackling the B.1.1.529 variant among those infected. WHO, meanwhile, has also appointed an independent experts team known as the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) to monitor and evaluate the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529. variant, which was first reported to WHO from South Africa on 24 November 2021, according to the global health agency. 

Definitely 'a serious concern'

“The variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning,” stated WHO in a statement. On a positive note, the committee informed that the current SARS-CoV-2 PCR diagnostics continue to detect this variant.  Professor Edward Holmes, an expert who researches the emergence of infectious diseases, told ABC news outlet that the fact that the newly detected B.1.1.529 is so distinct from other variants such as Delta “is a worry.” 

"It is definitely a serious concern," he said. “It has mutations throughout the spike protein that might make it able to evade immune responses.”

Bioinformatician with South Africa's Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, Tulio de Oliveira, at a presser confirmed that this variant with cases having risen rapidly over the period of 2 weeks has a "very unusual constellation of mutations”. More than 30 changes just to the spike protein have been detected, of which at least 10 mutations were capable of altering the protein spike that attaches itself to the human ACE receptor at the time of the contraction of the SARS-CoV-2. The beta variant had just three such mutations and the Delta variant, still dominant in some countries, had only two. 

According to scientists, vaccines the best-known defence against COVID-19 teaches the human cells to neutralise the coronavirus by copying the genetic code from this very spike protein. If it alters too much, the human immune system and the jabs will fail to recognise the virus, Professor Tulio de Oliveira explained. The variant B.1.1.529  has already spread to three countries, Botswana, South Africa, and Hong Kong.

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Published November 27th, 2021 at 10:01 IST

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