PARIS: The vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to retain its effectiveness against coronavirus mutations in worrying new variants that have emerged recently in Britain and South Africa, the firms said Thursday.
Several new variants — each with a cluster of genetic mutations — have sparked fears over an increase in infectiousness as well as suggestions that the virus could begin to elude immune response, whether from prior infection or a vaccine.
Pfizer/BioNTech, which had previously said it was unlikely that the strain originally found in Britain could escape vaccine protection, said Thursday that early tests suggest their immunization would be similarly protective against the variant in South Africa.
In a statement, the two companies said these preliminary findings “do not indicate the need for a new vaccine to address the emerging variants.”
They said they are “prepared to respond” if a new strain is shown to be able to evade the immunity of the vaccine, adding that they can produce updates to their jab if needed.
The statement comes after US biotech firm Moderna this week announced that lab studies suggest its vaccine should protect against the variants first found in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
The latest Pfizer/BioNTech research, which has not yet been peer reviewed, was carried out by researchers from Pfizer and the University of Texas.
The authors compared the antibodies of 20 people who had received two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine during clinical trials with lab-engineered sets of mutations present in the variants that emerged in Britain and South Africa.
The new variants — along with another linked to Brazil — have mutations to the virus’ spike protein, which enables the virus to latch onto human cells and therefore plays a key role in driving infections.
One mutation in particular — known as E484K and found in the South Africa and Brazil strains but not the one in Britain — has experts particularly worried about immunity “escape.”
The study found that the antibodies were able to neutralize all the sets of mutations tested.
It noted that the effect was “slightly lower” against three mutations in the variant found in South Africa, including E484K.
But the firms said that it was “unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the vaccine.”
They said they were looking to test against the full set of mutations in the spike protein of the variant that emerged in South Africa.
A study released last week by researchers in South Africa, which has also not yet been peer reviewed, tested the variant found there against blood plasma from recovered Covid-19 patients.
They found that it was resistant to neutralising antibodies built up from prior infection, but said more research was needed into the effectiveness of other parts of the immune response.
Daily global deaths from Covid-19 topped 18,000 for the first time Wednesday, with vaccines seen as the only real chance of returning to some form of normality.
The German firm BioNTech had already said the messenger RNA technology means it could update the vaccine against new variants within weeks.
Pfizer/BioNTech say vaccine effective against UK, South Africa virus mutations
https://arab.news/c7tu9
Pfizer/BioNTech say vaccine effective against UK, South Africa virus mutations
- Pfizer/BioNTech say preliminary findings “do not indicate the need for a new vaccine to address the emerging variants”
- Companies “prepared to respond” if new strain is shown to be able to evade the immunity of the vaccine
UK police seek information from ex-protection officers of king’s brother Andrew
- Any changes to the line of succession would require consultation and agreement with other countries where King Charles is head of state
- London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday it was now identifying and contacting former and serving officers
SANDRINGHAM, England: British police said on Friday they were contacting former protection officers who worked for King Charles’ younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, urging anyone with allegations of sex offenses relating to Jeffrey Epstein to come forward.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.
A British official said Britain’s government would consider new legislation to remove the former prince from the line of royal succession once the police investigation into his ties with Epstein is over.
Any changes to the line of succession — Mountbatten-Windsor is eighth in line to the throne — would require consultation and agreement with other countries where King Charles is head of state, the official — who asked not to be identified — said.
OFFICERS URGED TO SHARE INFORMATION
Thursday’s arrest related to allegations Mountbatten-Windsor sent confidential government documents to the disgraced financier when he was a trade envoy.
As part of a completely separate inquiry, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday it was now identifying and contacting former and serving officers who may have worked closely with the royal.
“They have been asked to consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard during that period of service may be relevant to our ongoing reviews and to share any information that could assist us,” the police statement said.
“We continue to urge anyone with new or relevant information to come forward. All allegations will be taken seriously and, as with any matter, any information received will be assessed and investigated where appropriate.”
Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose death in a New York jail in 2019 was ruled a suicide, and said he regretted their friendship.
In 2022, the royal settled a civil lawsuit brought in the United States by the late Virginia Giuffre who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager at properties owned by Epstein or his associates.
British media reports have stated that Giuffre received around 12 million pounds ($16.2 million) from Mountbatten-Windsor. He has denied ever meeting her.
London police had previously looked into allegations of trafficking for sexual exploitation relating to Epstein and decided in 2016 not to launch any criminal investigation. That decision has since been reviewed three times, and as it stands there is no current formal investigation.
Friday’s statement said in light of the recent mass release of documents by the US government relating to Epstein, police were also looking into whether London airports were used by him to facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“We are assessing this information and are actively seeking further detail from law enforcement partners, including those in the United States,” the statement said.
That echoed statements from three other police forces that are looking into private flight links to Epstein at other airports in Britain.
HELD FOR MORE THAN 10 HOURS
The latest development comes after Mountbatten-Windsor was released under investigation, having been held by detectives from Thames Valley police for more than 10 hours on suspicion of misconduct in a public office relating to his time as a trade envoy from 2001-2011.
He has not been charged with any offense, but looked haunted in a Reuters photograph after his release, eyes red and slumped in the back of a Range Rover.
The photograph of a man who was once a dashing naval officer and reputed favorite son of the late Queen Elizabeth was carried on the front page of newspapers in Britain and around the world, accompanied by headlines such as “Downfall.”
News of the arrest also made headlines around the world, including Australia, where Charles is head of state, Europe and the United States.
The recent release of Epstein files showed Mountbatten-Windsor had remained friends with Epstein long after the financier was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
Those files suggested he had forwarded to Epstein British government reports about investment opportunities in Afghanistan and assessments of Vietnam, Singapore and other places he had visited as the government’s Special Representative for Trade and Investment.
The arrest of the senior royal is unprecedented in modern times.
King Charles, who stripped his brother of his title of prince and forced him out of his Windsor home last year, said on Thursday he had learned about the arrest with “deepest concern.”
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” the king said.
Julian Payne, Charles’ former communications chief who is now at Edelman, said by putting the statement in the king’s words, it was designed to show that he was taking the lead on the matter, and he thought the public would be supportive.
“After all, how many other leaders around the world are judged through the actions of their relatives?” he told Reuters.
POLICE SEARCHES AT WINDSOR CONTINUE
As part of its investigation, Thames Valley Police have searched Wood Farm on the king’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England, where Mountbatten-Windsor now lives, and officers were still searching his former mansion in Windsor on Friday.
While being arrested means that police have reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed and that the royal is suspected of involvement in an offense, it does not imply guilt.
A conviction for misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and cases must be dealt with in a Crown Court, which handle the most serious criminal offenses.
