Effectiveness of Pfizer, Moderna Covid-19 vaccines reduces against double-mutant variant: WHO

The World Health Organisation cited three studies, all of which are awaiting peer review

The double mutant variant of the coronavirus, first found in India, has emerged as a cause of concern for many countries in the world. B.1.617, as the variant is officially known, is the reason behind the massive Covid-19 second wave in India, according to experts.

In such a scenario, the most crucial question that arises is — Can the vaccines defend us against the B.1.617 variant?

According to a note by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna are less effective against the double mutant variant.

The WHO said, "Preliminary laboratory studies awaiting peer review suggest a limited reduction in neutralisation by antibodies; however, real-world impacts may be limited."

However, the issue remains inconclusive until studies in real-world settings are conducted.

Read: PM Modi stresses on door-to-door testing in rural areas, bats for transparency in reporting Covid-19 numbers

WHO cited three studies, all of which are awaiting peer review, that showed that antibodies generated by the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna ability to neutralize the mutant virus gets reduced.

WHO cited another study that showed that Covaxin is largely effective against the mutant strain of the virus.

One of the studies was jointly conducted by researchers from Emory University School of Medicine in Georgia, US, Stanford University School of Medicine and Vaccine Research Center of US’ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The second study cited by WHO was conducted by the University of Cambridge, India’s National Centre for Disease Control and CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, and the third study cited was conducted by researchers in Germany.

Also read: The curious case of gaps between Covid-19 vaccine doses in India, UK

Recently, WHO said the double mutant variant had been found in dozens of countries all over the world. It was detected in more than 4,500 samples uploaded to an open-access database "from 44 countries in all six WHO regions".

WHO has declared B.1.617 — which counts three so-called sub-lineages with slightly different mutations and characteristics — as a "variant of concern".

It was therefore added to the list containing three other variants of Covid-19 — those first detected in Britain, Brazil and South Africa.

The variants are seen as more dangerous than the original version of the virus because they are either being more transmissible, deadly or able to get past some vaccine protections.

WHO explained that B.1.617 was added to the list because it appears to be transmitting more easily than the original virus, pointing to the "rapid increases in prevalence in multiple countries".

A top American health official has said the Covid-19 vaccines approved by the United States like Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson have effectiveness against the B.1.617 variant.

“The data is coming in, and it looks very encouraging that the US-approved vaccines, the Pfizer, the Moderna, the J&J, do have effectiveness against this variant called B.1.617,” said Dr Francis Collins, Director of National Institute of Science.