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What Pfizer says about third dose and Omicron vaccine

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What Pfizer says about third dose and Omicron vaccine

All Pfizer announcements on the third dose of its vaccine and the work in progress anti Omicron vaccine, but also the first results of studies on the latest variant identified

Pfizer has announced that its three-dose vaccine, made with Germany's BioNTech, neutralizes the Omicron variant but, at the same time, is planning a new one specifically against the latest variant identified. Because?

WHAT THE SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERTS SAY

To affirm that two doses of Pfizer's vaccine are not enough to protect against infection in the case of the Omicron variant wasa study , for now of small size, conducted in South Africa by the Africa Health Research Institute.

The researchers, including the South African virologist Alex Sigal, recognizing the limitations of the study at the present stage have highlighted a "clear reduction" in the protection offered by the vaccine against the variant, in the absence of the booster dose.

I STUDY

To reach this conclusion, the South African researchers put the Omicron variant in contact with the antibody-rich serum of 12 people, all vaccinated, but 6 of whom had previously contracted Covid. According to the study, these would seem more protected than those who had only been vaccinated, who would still be less likely to contract the serious disease.

Neutralizing antibodies, they say, "decrease 41 times in contact with Omicron" compared to previous variants. However, both Sigal and other experts, including the German virologist Christian Drosten, reiterate that this does not mean that vaccination protects 40 times less and, on the contrary, they underline the importance of continuing to vaccinate to bring the level of antibodies back up.

WHAT PFIZER / BIONTECH (AND THE BAG) SAY

Pfizer and BioNTech also agree on the decline in protection with two doses, but also announce that, according to the results of an initial laboratory study, the third dose of the vaccine is able to neutralize the Omicron variant.

"While two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against the serious disease caused by the Omicron strain, it is clear from these preliminary data that protection is improved with a third dose of our vaccine," said Albert Bourla , president and chief executive officer of Pfizer.

Yesterday "Pfizer stock on Wall Street – wrote Agi – after the announcement that the three doses of vaccine neutralize the Omicron variant at the partial 3.45 pm, rose by 0.70% to 52.12 dollars per share".

THE RESULTS

The data, according to a press release from Pfizer, indicate that a third dose of vaccine multiply up to 25 times the antibodies compared to two doses of Omicron variant.

The antibodies after the booster are comparable to the antibodies observed after two doses against the parent virus. The mean antibody titre of the neutralizing antibody against the Omicron variant measured in the samples was in fact 154 (after three doses), compared to 398 against the Delta variant (after three doses) and 155 against the original strain (after two doses).

Further data on the persistence of neutralizing titers over time after a booster dose against the Omicron variant will be collected.

WHY A NEW PFIZER ANTI OMICRON VACCINE

Pfizer and BioNTech, in the same release, also announced that on November 25 they began developing a new vaccine specific to Omicron. The development, they say, will continue as planned in the event that a vaccine adaptation is needed to increase the level and duration of protection against the variant – without affecting the capacity of 4 billion doses planned for 2022.

Bourla during the Wall Street Journal's Ceo Council Summit however clarified that "he does not know if a specific vaccine will be needed", but "we will know in a few weeks".

WHEN THE NEW VACCINE MAY ARRIVE

The first batches of the Omicron-based vaccine can be manufactured and are expected to be ready for delivery within 100 days, pending regulatory approval.

Pfizer and BioNTech also tested other specific vaccines for the different variants, which produced very strong neutralization titers and a tolerable safety profile.

A STOP TO CONCERNS

Meanwhile, more rumors keep repeating that it will still take at least two weeks to establish whether Omicron can cause more serious forms of Covid.

"There is no indication that the Omicron variant causes more severe forms of Covid-19," said Michael Ryan , WHO emergency manager.

This is echoed by immunologist and Biden administration chief adviser Anthony Fauci , who said, “There are encouraging signs about the symptoms of the Omicron variant and the severity of the disease. […] On the basis of the cases, it does not seem that there is a very serious disease ”.

“Since the data on the severity of the disease, hospitalizations and deaths are not immediate – he added – it will take at least two weeks before we have an overview of the situation and then more time for an even more detailed picture. Therefore, I would say that we should not draw definitive conclusions, certainly not before the next two weeks ”.

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/che-cosa-dice-pfizer-su-terza-dose-e-vaccino-anti-omicron/ on Thu, 09 Dec 2021 12:32:58 +0000.