LISTEN: New study shows Pfizer vaccine may be less effective against Omicron
New research strongly suggests that the Pfizer
vaccine is not as effective against the new Omicron variant first identified in
South Africa.
This is according to findings released on Tuesday by the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI).
Director of AHRI, Professor Willem Hanekom, says the results show that Pfizer is still effective but a reduced level.
“After you get the vaccine such as the Pfizer vaccine, the vaccine induces immunity in your body to protect yourself from the virus, one aspect of that immunity is anti-bodies.
“What researchers in our institute did, is they looked at people who have received the Pfizer vaccine before . . . and it showed that it can still neutralize the Omicron variant but to a much lesser extent to previous variants.”
Hanekom explains this may not only be limited to the double-dose Pfizer, but could also be true of other vaccines.
“The results have confirmed what we predicted from looking at the genetic make-up of the whole virus, and the predictions are that aspects in our immune response will be evaded (or the virus will resist them), so we think that it is likely happen regardless of the vaccine that is used.”
LISTEN TO HANEKOM BELOW
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