WASHINGTON: Amid the numerous mutated variants of novel Covid-19, the efficacy of the vaccine is the thing that is discussed around the globe in wake of the lasting protection against the deadly disease.
On Wednesday, American pharma giant Pfizer suggested that a third dose of its RNA-based vaccine can ‘strongly boost protection against the Delta variant’ of novel disease – a mutation and dominant strain of the virus that originally surfaced in India first.
The findings of the recent study suggest that antibody levels against the mutated variant in people ages 18 to 55 [who receive a booster shot] are greater than five-fold than following a second dose.
Furthermore, among elderly people [aged 65 to 85], it suggests that antibody levels against the Delta variant, after receiving the third dose, are greater than 11-fold than following a second dose. The data have not yet been peer-reviewed or published.
The study further depicted that antibody levels are much higher, after the booster shot, against the original Covid variant and the Beta variant – which was first surfaced in South Africa.
Following the recent update, the Pharma giant anticipates applying for emergency use authorization for a third dose as soon as next month, Pfizer worldwide research, development Chief Dr. Mikael Dolsten said.
Dolsten while commenting on the matter termed the recent study [on a third dose] ‘encouraging.’ He said receiving the third dose more than six months after vaccination was estimated to potentially boost the neutralizing antibody titers in participants in this study to up to 100 times higher post-dose three compared to pre-dose three.
As Pfizer announced to ramp up its efforts to roll out the third dose which shows ‘promising’ results, the top regularities authorities in the US including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said “Americans don’t need third doses quite yet and that it was not up to companies alone to decide when an additional dose might be needed.”
The companies mulled the booster shot after two vaccines as a recent study, comprised of 44,000 participants, show the vaccine’s efficacy in preventing any Covid-19 infection appeared to decline by an average of 6 percent every two months after administration.
The efficacy peaked at more than 96 percent within two months of vaccination and slipped to 84 percent after six months period.
Experts believe either the vaccine’s efficacy against mild disease is decreasing slightly, or the emergence of mutated variants made it look less efficient.
Furthermore, RNA-based vaccine Moderna was reportedly 90 percent effective against symptomatic Covid infection and 95 percent against severe disease after six months, the company revealed in an April press release.
Earlier, it was revealed that the antibodies triggered by China’s Sinovac COVID vaccine decline below a key threshold from around six months after a second dose for most recipients, it also suggests a third shot for a strong boosting effect.
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