Based on Axios live Coronavirus Variant Tracker. Data: CDC/Axios Research/GISAID; Graphic: Will Chase/Axios; Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
America is in a race to vaccinate people before the country is overwhelmed by variants that are spurring a fourth wave of COVID-19.
Why it matters: Spring is here, and when cases were dropping, hope was rising for a more normal summer. But experts warn this will only happen if people keep social distancing, wearing masks and getting vaccinated as soon as they can.
State of play: Growing evidence shows the three authorized vaccines currently offer protection against the variants, Larry Luchsinger, assistant member of the nonprofit New York Blood Center, tells Axios.
According to the New York Blood Center analysis, the vaccines create enough antibodies to fight the disease
Published March 17, 2021 •
Updated on March 17, 2021 at 12:43 pm
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What to Know
All three of the FDA-approved vaccines against COVID-19 show efficacy against the mutated strains of the virus, according to an analysis by the New York Blood Center (NYBC) published in
Science Magazine.
NYBC found that the Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna vaccines create enough antibodies to fight the virus variants, according to the article “Vaccine efficacy probable against COVID-19 variants” by Dr. Christopher D. Hillyer and Dr. Larry Luchsinger.
However, according to the published analysis, the efficacy of vaccines need to be reexamined as new strains emerge.
COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against the coronavirus strain from South Africa, but scientists remain confident that humans have the upper hand.