In an attempt to ensure the effectiveness of their COVID-19 vaccines against new variants of the new coronavirus, both Pfizer and Moderna are testing a third booster shot of their respective two-dose vaccines.
On February 25, Pfizer announced that it is studying a third booster dose in some people who received their first dose of the vaccine more than six months ago. The company specifically stated that emerging and future variants of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, were the reason for the study. Pfizer also said it is exploring the possibility of a new “variant-specific vaccine” that will target B.1.351 (the highly infectious South African variant).
Moderna also announced that it has just manufactured a specific vaccine for variant B.1.351, and the company is ready to begin a phase 1 clinical trial of the vaccine. Modern says it will explore the use of the new vaccine as a “booster dose” for people who are already vaccinated. This reinforcing trait will be analyzed in a phase 1 clinical trial to see if it can “increase immunity against variants of concern,” Moderna noted.
Both companies hinted that it would be months before preliminary data became available. In the meantime, you probably have questions about possible COVID-19 booster traits. This is what the experts know so far.
How do COVID-19 mRNA vaccines work?
Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use a newer type of technology called messenger RNA (mRNA). Vaccines, which do not contain live virus, encode a portion of the ear protein, the piece of virus that attaches to human cells, that is found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, according to the Control Centers. and Disease Prevention (CDC).
The mRNA instructs the cells to develop a piece of this protein that is unique to SARS-CoV-2. Your immune system recognizes these new pieces of protein as foreign invaders and provides an immune response to fight what you interpret as an infection (although there is no threat). This will make you develop specific antibodies to SARs-CoV-2, which will help you fight future infections.
The body eventually removes both mRNA and proteins, but the antibodies stick around. How long they last is still being studied; the CDC specifically says more data is needed on both vaccines.
How effective are Pfizer and Moderna vaccines?
Both vaccines were found to be very effective during the phase 3 clinical trials. Research in the Pfizer phase 3 clinical trial showed that their vaccine is 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective. after the second dose in adults from 16 years.
Results of the Phase 3 clinical trial of Moderna, which were published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that the company’s vaccine is approximately 94.1% effective against COVID-19 in people over 18 years of age
But, and this is very great, the rehearsals were carried out before variants such as B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the UK and B.1.351, began to spread rapidly, according to William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the School of Medicine. Vanderbilt University. In other words, there is a possibility that the effectiveness of vaccines today is lower than the data from months ago.
With the new research being conducted, both Pfizer and Moderna “are trying to address preventively whether variants could affect the immunity generated by their vaccines,” says Reynold Panettieri, MD, director of the Institute of Medicine and Translational Science. of Rutgers University.
Is a third dose of booster needed for COVID-19 protection?
Both companies suggested that they were concerned about the potential impact of the South African variant on the effectiveness of their vaccines, as well as the possibility that future variants would make their vaccines less effective.
“The days of science are still early,” says Dr. Schaffner. “We may be able to use the standard vaccine as a booster to protect ourselves from variants, if we need it. We still don’t know how long the standard two-dose vaccine will protect us.”
There are different strategies for dealing with variants, adds Amesh A. Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “One is to reformulate the vaccine and the other is to add another booster with the same formulation,” he explains. Creating a booster can increase antibodies and T cells (a type of white blood cell that are an essential part of your immune system) enough to help fight SARS-CoV-2 strain-dominant variants.
It is also possible that a booster vaccine can make an already effective vaccine even more effective. “They may be trying to see if they achieve efficiency up to 100%,” says Dr. Panettieri.
Until medical experts know more, Dr. Adalja stresses that receiving two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine will still offer worthy protection. “The priority should still be to get vaccinated with the original vaccine, which has an impact on all variants in terms of what matters: serious illness, hospitalization, and death,” he says.
In addition, people across the country are still waiting to receive the first dose of the vaccine. “[A third dose] it would be logistically difficult in the short term, “says Dr. Adalja. But, she adds, distribution should be easier over time as more vaccination systems and supplies become available.
This article is accurate from the time of the press. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves rapidly and the understanding by the scientific community of the new coronavirus develops, it is possible that some of the information has changed since its last update. While we want to keep all of our stories up to date, visit the online resources provided by CDC, WHO, and yours local public health department to be informed of the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.
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