Pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced this morning (Thursday) that a study it conducted on the South African strain of the corona virus shows that its vaccine loses only slightly its effectiveness against the disease and there is no tens of percent reduction in the protection it provides, as suggested in other studies published in recent weeks.
The company said the study, conducted at Pfizer Laboratories in Texas, was performed on three of the known mutations of the South African strain using the blood of subjects who received two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine. The company noted that a genetically engineered virus was used that included only some of the features of the South African virus.
Pfizer is currently preparing for an experiment with an engineered virus that will include all the genetic traits of the South African strain and hopes that the results of the study will be published in the next two weeks.
Yesterday the company announced that they will start another vaccination order that will provide full protection for the South African strain. “Whenever a new variant appears we should be able to test whether our vaccine is effective against it or not,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Burla. Added.
Pfizer’s announcement comes two days after the modern company said they were working to improve the vaccine the company produces so that it would be effective against the South African strain of the corona virus.
According to tests conducted by the company in recent weeks, it estimates that the vaccine it produces is effective against the British mutation, as well as against the South African mutation, but the effectiveness of the vaccine against the latter strain is less.