New forms of the coronavirus are developing around the world.
Find out here what this means for corona vaccinations and which strategies the manufacturers are using.
If you count the mutations of the coronavirus that have been detected so far, it becomes clear: the pandemic is far from over.
Infections with new virus variants have been diagnosed around the globe.
There would be B.1.1.7, a coronavirus variant that has been spreading in Great Britain since the end of 2020.
Or the South Africa variant B.1.351, which, like B.1.1.7, was also found in Germany.
In the USA, however, the Californian coronavirus mutant CAL.20C or B.1.429 is of concern because, like other novel virus variants, it spreads faster than the non-mutated virus.
The risk of insufficient vaccination protection in the event of an infection with virus mutations is currently still manageable, according to science journalist Volkart Wildermuth in a
Germany
radio report.
In Germany, it is mainly the British variant B.1.1.7 that is spreading.
The vaccinations would work well against these
.
But with the mutations B.1.351 from South Africa and P1 from Brazil, a mutation in the coronavirus spike protein apparently affects the binding of antibodies, which means that vaccinations developed so far no longer work as well as in the case of a conventional Sars-CoV-2 infection it on
deutschlandfunk.de
.
Also read
: British Corona Mutation B.1.1.7: New study shows clear differences in Covid symptoms.
"Mix and Match" or booster vaccination: Approved vaccines in the fight against virus mutations
If the virus changes, vaccines will need to be adapted to increase the level of protection for those vaccinated.
This is where the so-called booster vaccination comes into play.
This is simply a matter of inoculating more vaccine: Instead of two vaccine doses, you are given three.
This is supposed to stimulate the body to produce even more antibodies against coronaviruses.
The approach is promising, for example Marylyln Addo from Eppendorf University Hospital in Hamburg was able to show in vaccine research against the MERS coronavirus that a third vaccination significantly strengthens the immune response, according to
Deutschlandfunk
.
Another approach that already includes approved vaccines:
the “mix and match” vaccination
.
According to science journalist Volkart Wildermuth, the first clinical studies are already underway to test the effects of vaccinations with two different vaccines.
For example, research is being carried out into the effects of a vaccination with the Astrazeneca and Biontech preparations.
The hope of the researchers: Because each vaccine stimulates the body to have a slightly different immune response, a combination vaccination could provide even better protection against Covid-19.
If the vaccines developed so far would no longer work adequately against new virus mutations using the mix-and-match process or a third vaccination, there is the possibility of producing new preparations.
However, it is also possible to adapt existing vaccines
.
According to manufacturers, this can happen within just six weeks.
However, it could be six months before the adapted vaccines go into production and are therefore available, according to
Deutschlandfunk
.
(jg)
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