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Worst-case scenario: Doesn't corona vaccination work against new virus mutation? - The manufacturer's plan

2021-03-22T12:46:31.189Z


While vaccinations against the coronavirus are slowly picking up speed worldwide, more and more virus variants are forming. Could the vaccines be losing their effectiveness anytime soon?


While vaccinations against the coronavirus are slowly picking up speed worldwide, more and more virus variants are forming.

Could the vaccines be losing their effectiveness anytime soon?

In Great Britain and now around 100 other countries, the coronavirus variant B.1.1.7 is causing the number of cases to skyrocket - in South Africa, on the other hand, the mutant B.1.351 developed and in Brazil the variant P1.

The vaccination campaign is only just gaining momentum in many countries.

Many therefore fear that the newly developed vaccines could soon lose their effectiveness again.

However, experts give the all-clear.

Do the vaccines also work against the coronavirus mutations?

As for the

British virus variant B.1.1.7

, which is

widespread in Germany

, the vaccines apparently continue to protect well.

"

So far there are no indications of a substantially reduced effectiveness of the vaccines,

" writes the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

The situation is different with the South African mutant B.1.351 and the Brazilian variant P1.

Both are characterized by a mutation in the spike protein that appears to affect the binding of antibodies.

Accordingly, vaccines no longer work as well.

According to a contribution by Deutschlandfunk,

for example, the effectiveness of the vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and Novavax in the mutant in South Africa is reduced to 50 to 60 percent

.

Astrazeneca is even less effective and can hardly prevent even the mildest courses of disease.

Nevertheless, there is still no need to worry: Even with the South African variant, hospital stays with Johnson & Johnson and Novavax could be prevented -

so they are quite effective against severe courses of Covid-19

.

There are still no clinical studies on the effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Biontech / Pfizer.

However, experts speak out in favor of vaccination.

How can the effectiveness of the existing vaccines against the corona mutations be increased?

A reduced effectiveness in the case of the coronavirus mutations does not mean that the vaccines currently available will soon be superfluous.

There are

two approaches that could make these vaccines more effective

:

  • Booster vaccination

    : Here, after the usual two

    vaccination

    doses, a third dose is administered in order to increase the antibody level.

    Other vaccinations have already been successful.

  • "Mix and Match"

    : Here different vaccines are combined with one another.

    Clinical studies are already being carried out, for example testing the effectiveness of a combination of Astrazeneca and Biontech.

    This is actually intended to bridge gaps in the vaccine supply - but it is possible that this will also increase the effectiveness, as each individual vaccine leads to a slightly different immune response.

    The results of the studies have yet to be awaited.

Also interesting

: Covid urine test shows whether corona infection could be severe - in theory, any doctor can do it.

No more effect with mutations?

New vaccines could be developed that quickly

The vaccines are currently also showing efficacy with most of the existing variants.

However, it may well be that new vaccines will actually be necessary at some point.

This topic is already being worked on in the laboratories, as

deutschlandfunk.de

informs.

In principle, only the information for

the mutated spike protein needs to be integrated into the existing vaccine construct

- this greatly shortens the development of the vaccine and can be completed within six weeks.

At the same time, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the German Paul Ehrlich Institute and the other European regulatory authorities are examining ways to enable accelerated approval.

It is important that the manufacturing process is the same and that the quality of the vaccine is guaranteed.

In addition, the effectiveness of the adapted vaccine must be proven in clinical phase 3 studies with a few hundred participants.

Something similar is already done every year with the flu vaccination.

In this way,

a new vaccine

could be

brought onto the market within just under six months

.

(fk)

Also read

: 55 typical long-term corona symptoms: New study shows Covid consequences in detail.

The life-saving prick: These risk groups should be vaccinated against the flu

The life-saving prick: These risk groups should be vaccinated against the flu

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2021-03-22

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