A British study confirmed the high effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines against a strain of coronavirus imported from India but significantly lower their effectiveness after the first dose.
This is reported by EUR News with reference to the BBC.
The study was conducted by Public Health England. The study was conducted on almost 12,700 samples that underwent genome sequencing of the virus. Of these, 1,054 belonged to the Indian strain B. 1. 617. 2.
According to the results, two doses of both Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca provide good protection against the Indian strain, as well as against the British one.
Pfizer vaccine in 88% of cases effectively prevented the development of symptoms 2 weeks after vaccination with the second dose (against the British strain — in 93%), and AstraZeneca vaccine-in 60% of cases (against the British strain — in 66% of cases).
At the same time, their effectiveness within three weeks after the first dose is only 33%, while against the British strain-50%.
The UK health secretary said that with such results, the government is likely to be able to move to the final stage of easing the quarantine from June 21.
Earlier, the European Medicines Agency expressed confidence that at least the BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna vaccines should be sufficiently effective against the Indian strain of coronavirus.
