Omicron Covid variant is unlikely to cause severe illness in people who have received the Pfizer vaccine, BioNTech chief says
- Dr Ugur Sahin, co-founder of BioNTech, says he believes people fully vaccinated with his company's shot are safe from severe infection from Omicron variant
- The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provides a person with two layers of protection, one that prevents infections and one that prevents severe complications
- He says the variant can evade the first level of protection and cause a breakthrough infection, but not get by the second layer
- The Omicron variant was first discovered in South Africa last week and is believed to have originated in Botswana
The co-founder of BioNTech - Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing partner - believes their shot is still effective at preventing severe complications from the Omicron variant.
Dr Ugur Sahin, co-founder of the Mainz, Germany-based company, told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that the variant can cause breakthrough infections at a higher rate.
However, once in the body, the variant would likely be destroyed.
Sahin believes that a vaccinated person will have the immune system capacity necessary to defeat the mutated virus, and encourages people to get their booster shots when they can.
Many experts have feared that the Covid vaccines would not effective against the variant because of how many mutations is has of the spike protein that the vaccines target.
Dr Ugar Sahin, co-founder of BioNTech, says the people who have received his companies vaccine - a joint effort with Pfizer - are safe from severe complications from the Omicron COVID-19 variant. Pictured: Sahin at a virtual awards show on March 18 in Berlin, Germany
Sahin explained that the vaccine provides a person with two layers of protection from the virus. The first layer prevents infection, and Omicron can get through that layer because of its many mutations. The second layer prevent complications from the virus, and BioNTech do not believe the variant's mutations will allow it to evade those vaccine protections (file photo)
'Don't freak out, the plan remains the same: Speed up the administration of a third booster shot,' Sahin told the WSJ on Tuesday.
BioNTech initially developed its two-shot mRNA vaccine early in 2020, and partnered with U.S. based-Pfizer to distribute it around the world.
It was the first vaccine to earn emergency use authorization - and later full approval - in America, and is also the only vaccine available to people under the age of 18.
The shot has been administered 266 million times in the U.S. to fully vaccinate over 109 million people.
Sahin told the WSJ that the jab provides people with two levels of protection from the virus.
First, it generates Covid antibodies that helps a person's immune system prevent the virus from infecting cells if a person is exposed.
This first layer is focused on the virus's spike protein, which attaches itself to cells and infects them.
Omicron has more than 30 mutations on its spike protein, giving it the ability to evade the first layer of protection.
Protection from the infection is also found to wane over time, as antibodies provided by the vaccine diminish, making a fully vaccinated person more vulnerable to a breakthrough infection.
The second layer of protection remains strong against the variant, though.
After infection, a second wave of protection arrives, as immune cells in the body work to destroy infected cells.
The BioNTech chief does not believe that the variant can evade this second level of protection.
'If a virus achieves immune escape, it achieves it against antibodies, but there is the second level of immune response that protects from severe disease - the T-cells,' he said.
'Even as an escape variant, the virus will hardly be able to completely evade the T-cells.'
It is a reassuring signal from a leading vaccine expert after a week of fears caused by the discovery of the new variant.
Omicron was first detected by South African health officials last week and is believed to have originated in Botswana.
American officials acted quickly, and President Joe Biden halted travel from South Africa, Botswana, and fiver other African nations in the region starting Monday.
Many other countries made similar moves, but it has not prevented the variant from spreading.
At least 200 cases of Omicron have been detected in 18 countries, including the UK and Canada.
While it has not yet been sequenced in the U.S., some health experts are sure it has found its way into the country, and it is just waiting to be found.
BioNTech announced Monday that it is working on an Omicron specific vaccine, but for now Sahin encourages people to protect themselves by getting a Covid booster shot.
'We have a plan to administer a third shot to people, and we must stick to this plan and speed it up,' he told WSJ.
'Whether or not we will need extra protection by an adapted vaccine, this remains to be seen, later.'
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvaGVhbHRoL2FydGljbGUtMTAyNTg5NDkvT21pY3Jvbi12YXJpYW50LXVubGlrZWx5LWNhdXNlLXNldmVyZS1pbGxuZXNzLXZhY2NpbmF0ZWQtcGVvcGxlLUJpb05UZWNoLXNheXMuaHRtbNIBigFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvaGVhbHRoL2FydGljbGUtMTAyNTg5NDkvYW1wL09taWNyb24tdmFyaWFudC11bmxpa2VseS1jYXVzZS1zZXZlcmUtaWxsbmVzcy12YWNjaW5hdGVkLXBlb3BsZS1CaW9OVGVjaC1zYXlzLmh0bWw?oc=5
2021-11-30 18:57:08Z
1157033015
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar