Pfizer vax 40x less effective against Omicron: South African Study

Johannesburg, Dec 8, 2008 : A small study by South African researchers has shown that Pfizers mRNA-based Covid vaccine could be 40 times less effective than the super mutant Omicron variant.

It has raised concerns about the possibility that this variant could escape vaccine-elicited immunity.A team of scientists, including Prof.

Alex Sigal of the Africa Health Research Institute, tested 14 plasma samples (blood) from 12 participants.Six had no prior record of SARS-CoV-2 infections and all had been vaccinated with BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine.

The results, which were not peer reviewed yet, were posted on a preprint server.They showed a 41-fold decrease in antibodies generated by Pfizers vaccine to neutralize the new variant.

However, Omicrons ability of evading vaccine antibodies is "incomplete", according to Prof Alex Sigal, a virologist at Africa Health Research Institute who led the research.Five participants, all infected with Omicron, had "relatively high neutralisation levels with Omicron".

The study also revealed that vaccine-induced antibodies were unable to neutralise the beta variant of the earlier South African monopoly.This suggests that Omicron is better at evading protection.

The researchers wrote that the results they presented with Omicron showed much greater escape.They added that "previous infection, followed with vaccination or booster, is likely to increase neutralisation levels and likely confer protection against severe disease in Omicron infection".

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), existing vaccines should still be used to protect those who are susceptible to severe Covid cases.BBC reported that Dr Mike Ryan, WHOs emergency director, said there was no indication Omicron would be more adept at evading vaccines then other variants.

Anthony Fauci, a top US infectious disease expert, said that preliminary data on Omicron Covid-19 variant are "bit encouraging" but does not indicate a high degree of danger.CNN quoted Fauci as saying that "Though it is too early to make any definitive statements about, it does not appear like theres an extreme degree to it," Fauci said "Thus far, the signs are encouraging.

He said that we need to be cautious before we decide if it is less severe or causes no severe illness comparable to Delta.Laboratory tests are being conducted to determine if the super mutant Omicron strain is more transmissible than others, resistant to vaccination, or if it is more severe.

The results are expected in the next few weeks.-IANS rvt/dpb #Pfizer #effective #Omicron #African #Covid #Covid-19.