Pfizer and AstraZeneca are effective against the Indian variant after the second dose

The Indian variant of Sars-CoV-2 shouldn’t scare off vaccines Pfizer e AstraZeneca. But only after the second dose. This was revealed by a study by the British health authorities according to which after the double administration the two products ensured a level of protection against the symptoms of the disease substantially equivalent to that recorded for the syndrome induced by the so-called English variant.

The main difference, however, is recorded after the first dose: while the antibody titer increases satisfactorily in almost all vaccinated as the weeks after the first injection proceed, leading to a high efficacy against already known and widespread variants, in the case of the Indian one (B.

1.617.2) the effectiveness is reduced to 33% against 50% three weeks after the first injection. The recall is absolutely necessary.

In detail, the vaccine developed by Pfizer-Biontech proved effective at88% in blocking the symptoms of the Indian variant two weeks after the second dose, compared to 93% of English now predominant across Europe. In the case of the AstraZeneca vaccine, however, this percentage drops to 60% against the Indian against the 66% found with the English. According to the study authors, however, this could be because the second dose inoculations of the vaccine developed by Oxford are start later compared to those of Pfizer, which had received approval earlier. At present, among other things, there are not enough cases and adequate monitoring periods to evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine against severe outcomes from the syndrome triggered by the Indian variant.

The investigation took place between April 5 and May 16 last year 12,675 people of different age groups and ethnicities. Of these, however, genomic sequencing had confirmed the positivity of the Indian variant for sun 1,054 people. The confirmed efficacy, even after the completion of the vaccination cycle, has rekindled optimism in Great Britain. So much so that the British Minister of Health, Matt Hancock, explained that the survey results make it “More and more confident” on the fact that the government can start Phase 4 on June 21, that is, a substantial return to almost complete normality. Hence also the invitation to confirm and honor appointments for the second dose, fundamental against this and who knows what other mutations are coming and on which now the country, after the choice to provide the first dose to the highest number of residents, is accelerating.

“This study reassures that two doses of both vaccines offer high levels of protection against symptomatic disease from variant B.1.617.2,” he added. Mary Ramsay, head of the vaccination program at Publich Health England – we expect vaccines to be even more effective in preventing hospitalization and death, so it is essential to finish the vaccination course with double dose to achieve maximum protection against all existing variants and emerging “.