By Diane Burke • Published: 19 Jul 2021 • 12:29
Source: Pixabay
BRITISH expert warns that the beta variant may escape vaccine immunity. The director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, Andrew Pollard, stated that the beta variant may escape the immunity offered by the vaccine, although he hopes that the AstraZeneca vaccine will provide “very high protection” against hospitalizations and deaths.
“The beta variant, first identified in South Africa, is also found in the UK and, like the Delta variant, is capable of escaping vaccine immunity to some extent,” the expert said today, July 19, in statements to British broadcaster BBC Radio 4. Precisely because this variant “is really quite good at circumventing the immunity of vaccines,” Pollard added that the scientific community anticipates that the mutation “can spread between vaccinated populations.” He explained, “We know that people who have been immunized with messenger RNA, genetically modified vaccines, such as Pfizer, as well as AstraZeneca, can become infected with the beta variant”.
Regarding the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine against this variant, he referred to a study carried out in South Africa by the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, which their vaccine “very similar” to AstraZeneca, showed that with a single dose of this vaccine, 100% protection against hospital admissions and deaths was achieved.”RNA vaccines, like Pfizer’s, and the AstraZeneca vaccine, are given in two doses. AstraZeneca’s is very similar to Johnson & Johnson’s and we hope, biologically speaking, to get very high protection against hospitalization and deaths, and I am absolutely confident that this will happen, as this is how vaccines work, “he explained.
His words coincide with the lifting of the latest legal restrictions today, July 19, due to the pandemic in the UK, with which there will no longer be a limit on the number of people who can meet in closed places and the use of masks will no longer be mandatory.
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Diane is from Limerick, Ireland and has previously lived in Seville. Having graduated with a Masters in Journalism and Public Relations she has a keen interest in digital media. As well as her passion for news, she enjoys learning about human psychology, practising pilates and has a soft spot for tapas!
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