“Pfizer vaccine is highly effective against the delta variant,” quotes Reuters agency Mikael Dolsten, chief scientist of the company. However, after six months with the vaccine in the body, “there is probably a risk of recurrent infection as antibodies are thought to be declining.”
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The Israeli authorities recently reported a decline in the effectiveness of the vaccine, according to which people vaccinated in January and February fell the level of protection against infection and the symptomatic course of covid-19 at 64%. However, more than 90% efficacy is still reported in the case of severe disease and possible hospitalization. The decline came at a time when the delta option was spreading in the country and measures on social distancing were abolished.
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Pfizer has not yet provided the entire set of Israeli data to the public, but said it should be released soon. “It’s a small set of data, but I think this trend is appropriate,” Dolsten said, noting that the delta variant is more contagious than the original new type of coronavirus that has been reported worldwide.
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However, the declining efficacy should be addressed by the third dose of the vaccine, which, according to the initial data available to the company, should increase the amount of antibodies in the body up to ten times compared to the second, which mRNA vaccines include in the basic vaccination process. It is estimated that the additional injection should offer promising protection.
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Functioning of vaccine mRNA
A substance that is introduced into a person’s body carries a molecule called mRNA with ‘instructions’ that allow the body to make a so-called spike protein. It is located on the surface of the coronavirus and the virus needs it to enter the body’s cells. This harmless coronavirus “tip” is then recognized by the immune system as foreign and begins to respond.
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“The person’s immune system then recognizes the protein as foreign, starts making antibodies and activates T-cells (white blood cells) to defend the body. If a person later encounters the SARS-CoV-2 virus, their immune system will recognize it and the body will be ready to defend itself against it, “he explains in his the web State Institute for Drug Control. “The mRNA molecule from the vaccine does not remain in the body, but decomposes shortly after vaccination.”
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According to Dolsten, the third dose of the vaccine is especially important for the elderly. Several countries in Europe and beyond have already expressed interest in it. In August, Pfizer would like to apply for authorization of another dose from U.S. regulators, but according to U.S. authorities, this is not yet necessary for fully vaccinated individuals.
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“We are ready to provide third doses if and as soon as science proves that they are needed,” the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a joint statement. Regarding the need for another dose of vaccine earlier expressed uncertainty even some experts.
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According to Dolsten, Pfizer’s data directly from the United States show that the vaccine’s effectiveness has been impaired in people over the age of 80 after six months. The fabric thus lost some protection against variants that circulated in the ground in the spring. Earlier, after vaccination, in the case of a mutation also known as Indian, it showed a high efficacy.
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The tone informed for example, the British government agency Public Health England (PHE), which states that Comirnaty has been shown to be 88% effective in symptomatic illness. The number is higher than that achieved by AstraZeneca in the same study.
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The efficacy in hospitalization was Pfizer at 94%, only after the first dose. After the vaccinees received the second dose, the estimate rose to 96%. The PHE study, which focuses on deaths associated with the delta mutation, is still ongoing, but the level of protection is expected to remain high.
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Pfizer soon plans to verify the increase in effectiveness with the third dose, also through a study involving 10,000 people. The testing will take place in the fall of this year and will not be completed before the application is submitted to the US authorities. The Pfizer / BioNTech tandem is also currently working on a new version of the vaccine, which should target the delta variant directly.
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