COVID-19 has plagued the world enough, and now, vaccines are fighting back against its harmful effects on human health, particularly with Pfizer and BioNTech's mRNA-based shots that can protect against strains. While COVID-19 or the coronavirus is the main target of Pfizer's vaccine to immunize the body, it was recently discovered that it also is effective against the U.K. and South Africa variants.
A member of staff poses with a phial of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination health centre on the first day of the largest immunisation programme in the UK's history on December 8, 2020 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Wales joined the other UK nations in rolling out the covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday, a rare moment of coordination after months of disjointedness in the four nations' pandemic response.
Pfizer and BioNTech's mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine was the first to be granted the Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the country. It has been almost five months since the first administration of the virus and has eased up on the different restrictions imposed among the states.
However, it is still recommended to observe the proper social etiquette and health protocols in public, especially as it has not yet been administered to everyone and people can still get infected by it. Initially, it was proposed by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla to have a "COVID-19 Pill" to be used to protect against the virus and as treatment whenever getting infected.
Read Also: Pfizer, AstraZeneca Vaccine Side Effects Are Not Too Than Expected, Study Suggests
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine: Effective Against 2 Strains
COVID-19 has evolved and mutated into different strains for different countries, and each one of them has a distinct characteristic based on the physiology and country of origin. The first to hit a worldwide stage was the U.K. variant and was followed by the South Africa strain, both considered to be more aggressive and infectious than the original.
Will the low efficacy rate of Pfizer's first dose change vaccine plans in the US and the UK?
A study from Qatar published via the New England Journal of Medicine has discovered that Pfizer and BioNTech's current and only vaccine for COVID-19 is "extremely effective" against said strains. The study entitled "Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine against the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 Variants" narrates how the researchers found that Pfizer's immunity shot hinders the harmful infection of these strains in the human body.
B117 is known as the U.K. variant, while B1351 is from South Africa. The research claimed that Pfizer's shot is 97.3 percent effective in preventing the development of severe symptoms or cases in any strain of COVID-19, while it is 100 percent effective against the UK and South Africa variants. Certainly, this research's claims highly praise Pfizer's vaccine and the immunity it brings.
Pfizer Booster No More?
While severe cases may have high hopes for the vaccine, infection rates are significantly lower for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, as it can only guarantee 87 percent against the UK strain, and 75 percent against South Africa's. Still, these data and numbers are sufficient to keep a person protected from the virus, which brings the question of Pfizer's development of booster shots.
Initially, Moderna has been reported to looking into a further booster shot against COVID-19 strains, which would focus on South Africa and Brazil strains of the virus soon. Currently, there is no announcement on Pfizer's end, regarding the booster.
Related Article: FDA to Authorize Pfizer Vaccine for Adolescents in the Next Few Days
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isaiah Richard
