The University of Rochester Medical Center and Rochester Regional Health are once again involved in national COVID-19 research. The two healthcare institutions are running tests on a vaccine that could help fight against the so-called South African variant.
According to health officials, the new vaccine, produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, is “a slight twist” on the companies’ existing COVID-19 vaccine.
URMC’s Dr. Edward Walsh said the original vaccine is not as effective when faced with the double mutation present in the South African strain.
“This variant combined two mutations, the UK mutation known as 501, but also a mutation known as 484,” said Walsh, “So breakthrough infections will occur at a higher rate.”