It is hoped the new tests can prepare for new mutations. AFP
It is hoped the new tests can prepare for new mutations. AFP
It is hoped the new tests can prepare for new mutations. AFP
It is hoped the new tests can prepare for new mutations. AFP

Pfizer-BioNTech evaluates benefit of third jab as a booster


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

Pfizer and BioNTech are testing the effects on people of having a third dose of its Covid-19 vaccine to see if it helps to combat coronavirus mutations.

They believe the two-dose inoculation will work well against two variants – the ones first found in England and South Africa – but they can use those mutations to look for weaknesses in the drug.

The development comes as new research published by Imperial College London on Thursday suggested people who have had two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine produce high numbers of antibodies.

Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective, the US Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday, with an effectiveness against variants of between 57 per cent and 72 per cent.

Pfizer-BioNTech’s planned study into a third dose will allow them to prepare for when more protection is necessary.

"The rate of mutations in the current virus is higher than expected," Pfizer’s chief scientific officer Mikael Dolsten said.

"It's a reasonable probability that we would end up with regular boosts. And for potent vaccines, it may be that you need to do a strain change every few years, but not necessarily every year."

In the first stage of the study, a third 30-microgram dose will be given to fewer than 150 people who received the vaccine six to 12 months ago in the original Phase 1 safety trial.

The trial seeks to measure the antibody response and study whether blood from recipients can neutralise the new coronavirus variants, as well as the safety of a third dose.

"We think our vaccine is robustly active against all strains," Dr Dolsten said. Companies "want to be prepared for all options and be data driven – led by science", he said

The South African and English variants led to tightened lockdown orders as countries tried to slow their spread.

In the ICL/Ipsos Mori study, more than 154,000 participants tested themselves at home using a finger-prick test, showing 13.9 per cent of the population had antibodies, either from infection or vaccination.

More than 17,000 of the participants had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose.

"Overall there's very high effectiveness in terms of antibody positivity from two doses of the BioNTech, and also from a single dose in people who have had prior infection," said Prof Paul Elliott of Imperial.

Almost 80 per cent of people aged over 80 tested positive for antibodies after two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

That rose to 95.5 per cent for those under the age of 60 and 100 per cent in those under 30.

See how vaccination is rolling out in Europe

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Recipe

Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo

Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.

Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.

Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking,  remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.

Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.

 

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.