AstraZeneca begins trials for modified booster vaccine against Beta variant of COVID-19

“Testing booster doses of existing vaccines and new variant vaccines is important to ensure we are best prepared to stay ahead of the pandemic coronavirus, should their use be needed," said chief investigator.

New Delhi: The British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca along with the University of Oxford on Sunday (June 27, 2021) started new trials to assess a modified vaccine against the Beta variant of COVID-19, which first emerged in South Africa. According to AFP reports, the booster COVID-19 vaccine trials will be conducted upon 2,250 individuals from Britain, South Africa, Brazil and Poland. These 2,250 participants are those who have been fully vaccinated with two doses of the original Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine or an mRNA vaccine such as Pfizer. This new booster COVID-19 vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca, is known as AZD2816. According to the report, this new booster COVID-19 vaccine has also been designed using the same base as the main AstraZeneca shot but with minor genetic alterations