Pfizer-BioNTech says its COVID-19 vaccine is effective against UK and South Africa variants

Pfizer and BioNTech has said that its Coronavirus vaccines are effective against the variants that have emerged in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

In a statement released on Thursday January 28, the two firms said the "small differences" detected in tests comparing the original virus and the recent versions "are unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the vaccine".

AFP reported that while Moderna's Coronavirus vaccine also appears to work against the new and more infectious variants of COVID-19 found in the UK and South Africa, early laboratory tests suggested antibodies triggered by the COVID-19 vaccine can recognise and fight the new variants.

More studies are however needed to confirm this is true for people who have been vaccinated.

Pfizer and BioNTech also said they would respond if there was evidence that the variants could defeat their current vaccine. The statement added;

    “Pfizer and BioNTech believe that the flexibility of BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA vaccine platform is well suited to develop new vaccine variants if required."