Covid-19 vaccine effective against B.1.617.2 variant after second shot, shows UK study

The UK — Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines protect against the B.1.617.2 variant of Covid-19 after the second dose. This was found in a recent study by Public Health England.

A group of 21 researchers across five medical organisations in the UK carried out the study.

Their research showed that no matter whether one takes Pfizer or AstraZeneca, one has to have two doses. For both the vaccines are significantly more effective after the second shot.

The study also found that two doses of either vaccine are just as effective at protecting against the B.1.1.7 variant, which first emerged in the UK.

Conducted between April and May, the research found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 88 per cent effective against symptomatic disease from the B.1.617.2 Covid variant two weeks after the second dose. The vaccine also proved to be 93 per cent effective against the B.1.1.7 variant two weeks after the second dose.

“It is likely that vaccine effectiveness against more severe disease outcomes will be greater, wrote the authors of the study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed.

UK Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock praised the study as “groundbreaking”, noting the study “shows how important the secnd dose is to secure the strongest protection against Covid-19”.

Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG