Vaccine Efficacy Against New Covid Variant Under Examination: Scientist
NDTV
"Whether they would be effective against newly reported mutant B.1.1.529 needs to be seen over a period of time," said ICMR scientist Samiran Panda.
Genomic variations and structural changes have been reported from other countries in the new variant of Coronavirus but whether these alterations would impart increased transmissibility or make vaccines ineffective is under examination, senior ICMR scientist Samiran Panda said on Saturday.
Vaccines that have been directed towards the spike protein of the virus may find difficulty in mounting adequate immunity against the mutated version because of the structural changes that have been reported in the viral genome, according to WHO.
"However, we have to wait and watch in order to figure out how the emergence of this new mutant evolve and play out at the population level," said Mr Panda, the head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division, Indian Council of Medical Research.
He said that vaccines used in India - Covaxin and Covishield - have been reported to work against previously identified mutants from within India and other countries. "Whether they would be effective against newly reported mutant B.1.1.529 needs to be seen over a period of time," he said.
