Pfizer's COVID Vaccine Provides Partial Protection Against Omicron: Study

At a time when the emergence of a new COVID variant named Omicron has renewed fears around the novel coronavirus, there is also a concern around the efficiency of the vaccines. Although vaccine makers are studying the efficacy of their COVID vaccines against Omicron, a new study conducted in South Africa has delved into the efficacy of the one manufactured by the US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer in collaboration with the German firm BioNTech. The research carried out at Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa found that the Omicron variant was able to evade protection generated by the two doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19. However, those who were previously infected and also received the two vaccine doses were able to neutralise the new variant.

About The Study

For this study:

• The researchers studied the blood samples of 12 persons who had received both doses of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine.
• Among them, six had a prior infection and had also received the vaccine doses.
• The study hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet. The manuscript of the findings is available on the institute’s website. It “should be available on medRxiv in the coming days,” said Alex Sigal, professor at the Africa Health Research Institute, on Twitter.

What Did The Pfizer Vaccine-Omicron COVID Variant Study Find Out?

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The study found out that the vaccine provides partial protection against the Omicron variant.

• There has been a “very large drop” in neutralisation against the Omicron variant offered by Pfizer's vaccine, said Sigal in a tweet. A 41-fold drop was seen in the levels of neutralising antibodies, generated by the vaccine, against Omicron.
• However, those who were previously infected and also received the two doses of the vaccine were able to fend off infection. In the study, five out of six people who belonged to this category were able to neutralise Omicron.
• The variant “still uses ACE2” protein to enter the human cells, the professor said in his tweet.

We have completed our first experiments on neutralization of Omicron by Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccination elicited immunity

Manuscript available at https://t.co/rGaEB9GdmS

and should be available on medRxiv in the coming days — Alex Sigal (@sigallab) December 7, 2021

This is probably the first study on how a vaccine works against the Omicron variant.

Also read: Can You Get Re-Infected With Omicron Variant Of COVID-19? Here Are Answers You Were Looking For

Limitations Of Pfizer Vaccine-Omicron COVID Variant Study

Although it is among the primary studies on the effect of COVID vaccines on the Omicron variant, it had some limitations, such as:

• It did not test what effect booster doses had on the Omicron variant. This is because booster shots aren’t being administered in South Africa.
• The preliminary data didn’t indicate if the vaccine was less able to prevent severe illness or death. 
• Hence, more research is needed into whether booster doses offer better protection against Omicron. Also, whether the vaccine can prevent severe illness or death.

What Has Pfizer, BioNTech Said About Its Vaccine’s Effect On Omicron?

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This is what the companies said:

• Right after Omicron was designated as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said his company had started testing its vaccine’s efficacy against the new variant. Adding further, he said it’s not that the vaccine would not work, it might be that the current shots might protect less against the new VOC.
• Meanwhile, the German pharma major BioNTech said the development of the new vaccine will depend on the research whether a new one is needed in the first place. 

All About COVID’s Omicron Variant

The novel coronavirus, just like any other virus, mutates continuously into other forms, some benign, while some extremely dangerous. Omicron is the newest addition to the latter category.

• The variant B.1.1.529 was first identified in South Africa on November 9, 2021.
• The WHO on November 26 designated Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’, thus, adding it to the list of variants such as alpha (first identified in the United Kingdom), beta (first identified in Brazil), and delta (first identified in India), all of which have been responsible for much disease and deaths across the world. Notably, the world health body declares only those mutations as VOC that are speculated to be highly virulent and cause severe diseases.
• Till now, more than 35 countries have confirmed Omicron cases.
• Regarding vaccine efficacy, the WHO has said there is no evidence that hints that a new vaccine is needed against Omicron.

Since it’s a newer variant, a lot is still not known about Omicron, about its transmissibility, the severity of the disease it can cause, and most importantly how well the vaccines work against it. Hence, time and more research will tell the same. Until then, being cautious is a better approach than being scared. Hence, do not go out without a mask, practice social distancing, and get vaccinated. 

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