Pfizer confirmed findings of an earlier South African study on December 9, 2021, regarding reduced vaccine effectiveness against Omicron variant. Moreover, multiple other studies have also shown Omicron is more capable of evading parts of the immune system. We report on the current status of this developing story. And potentially how Pfizer vaccine counters Omicron with boosters.
What the South African Study Discovered
The South African study examined the medical records of 12 middle age, hospitalized patients. Of these, 6 were female and 6 male. Half of them had Pfizer vaccinations, while the remainder had none. The study goal was to discover the extent to which Omicron was able to escape Pfizer antibody neutralization.
Researchers drew blood samples from the patients to test their resistance to the new variant. And they concluded there was ‘extensive but incomplete escape of Pfizer’ compared to the prevalent Delta mutation. However, Omicron still needed the ACE-2 interface to achieve an infection, and moreover this success depended on the concentration of the virus.
How Booster Enables Pfizer Vaccine to Counter Omicron
Pfizer responded by agreeing Omicron is smarter at evading parts of the immune system than other variants. However, as they explained to BBC, vaccines do more than simply help prevent infections.
That’s because Pfizer vaccine also counters Omicron by training T-Cells to fight infections that do break through. Although they concede the variant’s virulence rate could still put pressure on hospitals again.
However, they believe a third, booster shot will enable their vaccine to counter Omicron to similar levels as other variants, by delivering a higher level of anti-bodies. But we have no news yet regarding how Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and other vaccines will perform under the new circumstances.
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Preview Image: South African Experimental Method
