AstraZeneca vaccine likely effective against new coronavirus variant

LONDON: AstraZeneca has said that its COVID-19 vaccine should be effective against the new highly contagious coronavirus variant.

“AZD1222 (AstraZeneca’s vaccine candidate) contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein, and the changes to the genetic code seen in this new viral strain do not appear to change the structure of the spike protein,” said an AstraZeneca representative in an email to Reuters.

The representative added that its vaccine would train the immune system to “recognise many different parts of the spike protein, so that it can eliminate the virus if it is later exposed.”

The mutation known as the B.1.1.7 lineage could be up to 70 per cent more infectious and more concerning for children. The new variant was found in the UK, and caused several nations to issue travel bans from people arriving from that country. The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine had an efficacy of 62 per cent for trial participants given two full doses, but 90 per cent in a smaller sub-group given a half, then full dose.

Germany’s infectious disease institute, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), warned Germans to keep their guard up if they were meeting with others over the upcoming holidays.

Lothar Wieler, head of the RKI, said if too many people travel and new cases rise, Germany could face even tighter movement restrictions. “We are worried that the infection situation will get even worse during the holidays,” said Wieler. He also warned that the new variant of the coronavirus was likely already in Germany, even though flights to and from the UK were cancelled.