Which vaccines protect against the Delta variant? [WE CHECK]

The Delta variant is currently causing the greatest concern in Europe, including Poland, where the mutation has already become dominant. What about COVID-19 vaccines? Do they work on the Delta variant?

1. Vaccines against COVID-19 were created with the “original” virus in mind, i.e. its original version, the first case of which was detected in Chinese Wuhan
2. 1,5 years have passed since then, the virus has mutated many times, resulting in many new variants. So far, the Alpha (British) variant has aroused the greatest concern. Currently, the Delta (Indian) variant seems to be more dangerous
3. Scientists are still investigating the effectiveness of known vaccines against the Delta variant. We publish the results of their analyzes below
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Why is the Delta variant becoming dominant?

The Delta variant is considered more infectious than the Alpha (British) variant. It is natural that the emergence of a more virulent mutation will displace its predecessor. This was what happened earlier with the Wuhan variant, which was superseded by a mutation first detected in the UK.

– It is very typical for all viruses that if more infectious, more virulent variants arise, the original strains will naturally be displaced over time – said Prof. Andrzej Fal, head of the Department of Allergology, Lung Diseases and Internal Diseases at the hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration. – The new variants take territory, fighting faster for their victim, which in this case is for the human. The issue of the emergence of a more infectious variant in a given population makes this variant the dominant one in some time, he explained.

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Do vaccines protect against the Delta variant?

Fear of the Delta variant makes more and more vaccinated people wonder if they can feel safe. Dr. Jerzy Jaroszewicz, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology of the Medical University of Silesia at the Specialist Hospital No. 1 in Bytom, there is no doubt.

– Vaccinations will protect us against most variants, maybe against all – he commented in an interview with Medexpress. He stressed, however, that this would only be the case if we took two doses of the anti-COVID-19 preparation and two weeks elapsed. This time is needed to build up immunity after vaccination. – We really haven’t had a patient in the hospital who received two doses of the vaccine and became clinically ill. The vaccination efficiency is very, very high and we know that also against the Alpha and Delta variants. But remember that after the first dose you can still get sick.

1. See also: Why do you need to give booster doses of vaccines? [WE EXPLAIN]

The expert also emphasized that there is a risk of infection in people with impaired immunity. In their case, Dr. Jaroszewicz recommended distance, disinfection, masks and avoiding large groups of people.

Do Pfizer and AstraZeneca protect against the Delta variant?

Research by scientists has shown that the Pfizer and AstraZeneki vaccines are almost as effective against the currently dominant Delta variant of the coronavirusas against the previously dominant Alpha variant.

However, in an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from Public Health England (PHE) admitted that one dose of these vaccines does not provide sufficient protection.

The effectiveness of two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in preventing the symptoms of disease caused by the Delta variant was estimated at 88%. compared with 93,7 percent. against the Alpha variant.

However, the effectiveness in combating the Delta variant of two doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be 67 percent. Previously, it was rated a little lower, at 60 percent. The effectiveness of this vaccine against the Alpha variant is expected to be 74,5 percent.

Previously, PHE estimated that one dose of the vaccine from both manufacturers was 33 percent effective against the Delta variant. Currently, it is rated for Pfizer at 36 percent, and for Astra Zeneki at 30 percent.

jm/PAP

Do you want to test your COVID-19 immunity after vaccination? Have you been infected and want to check your antibody levels? See the COVID-19 immunity test package, which you will perform at Diagnostics network points.

Moderna and the Delta variant

The Moderna vaccine should be effective against the Delta variant, according to a message issued by Moderna. The vaccine manufacturer has published research to prove this.

The study tested the blood samples of eight people. The level of antibodies in the serum of people vaccinated with Moderna was tested one week after the second dose of vaccination. It was tested whether the antibodies were able to stop the various mutations of the virus.

“The vaccine” produced neutralizing titers against all variants tested, “says Moderna’s statement. The research results were published on the bioRxiv server.

The study measured the level of protective proteins, i.e. neutralizing antibodies that prevent the virus from entering the body.

It turned out the number of antibodies compared to the Delta variant, it was 2,1 times lower than against the original, basic version of the virus. For comparison, the number of antibodies for the Eta variant (called Nigerian) it was 4,2 times lower and until eight times lower than the A.VOI.V2 variant. discovered in Angola.

– The effectiveness of the vaccine was not directly measured in the laboratory study. Although levels of neutralizing antibodies to the individual variants are lowered, it is still considered high enough to prevent disease as the vaccine generates a strong immune response that produces excess antibodies against the original strain, explains the importance of the Bloomberg.com study.

– We are committed to exploring new variants, generating data and sharing it as soon as it becomes available. These new data are encouraging and reinforce our belief that Moderna COVID-19 should remain protected against newly detected variants, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

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Johnson & Johnson vaccine for the Delta variant

Johnson & Johnson has released a statement on the effectiveness of the Janssen vaccine against the Delta coronavirus variant.

“Studies have shown that Janssen’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine generated potent, sustained activity against the rapidly spreading Delta variant and other very widespread variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” the release reads.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine induced the neutralizing activity of the anti-Delta variant antibodies to an even higher level than that recently observed for the Beta variant (B.1.351).

USA Today referred on July 20 to new, unpublished and unpublished studies on the effectiveness of the J&J vaccine on Delta. They show that this preparation does not provide the same protection as mRNA vaccines, i.e. from Pfizer and Moderna.

The study indicates that 13 million people who receive the vaccine may need a second dose, preferably from Pfizer or Moderna.

The message we wanted to convey is not that people should not get the J&J vaccine, but we hope it will either be boosted with another dose of J&J or boosted with a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine in the future, said virologist at Grossman School of Medicine at the University of Grossman. Nathaniel Landau, New York, who led the study.

These results contradict research published by Johnson & Johnson, notes USA Today News.

cyc / tebe / PAP

What about other COVID-19 vaccines?

At the moment, there are no specific studies on the effectiveness of other COVID-19 vaccines in the context of the Delta variant. There is a message from the producers of the Sputnik V vaccine. They posted a tweet saying that the two-dose preparation is to be more effective against the Delta variant than any other COVID-19 vaccine. Manufacturers announce that the results of research confirming this thesis will soon be published internationally.

1. Editors recommend: Coronavirus Delta variant «raises concern»

Alarming data, on the other hand, come from Indonesia, where healthcare workers are vaccinated with CoronaVac. More than 350 medics in an Asian country have contracted COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, according to Reuters. In the case of dozens, hospitalization was necessary. According to data published by Nikkei Asia, at least five doctors and one nurse have died despite being fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. In Indonesia, the Delta variant is the dominant mutation.

Is this a Delta variant? Symptoms of infection with the Indian variant

The Delta variant may have slightly different symptoms than the Wuhan coronavirus or the Alpha variant, although this is not always the case.

The spectrum of symptoms that COVID-19 has ranges from an asymptomatic infection to a lethal multi-organ disease. Since the spectrum of diseases is so large, it may be misleading to talk about any differences in symptoms between the variants, said virologist Prof. Krzysztof Pyrć.

However, the findings of foreign scientists show that in the case of the Delta variant, high fever, persistent cough or loss of smell and taste are less frequent. Researchers from the UK indicate that the most common symptoms of infection are:

1. sore throat
2. headache
3. katar
4. rash
5. upset stomach
6. dry mouth
7. nausea
8. diarrhea
9. vomiting
10. reddened eyes

Scientists from India add to this list. These are completely new symptoms:

1. hearing impairment
2. severe tonsillitis,
3. biliousness,
4. blood clots that can lead to tissue death and gangrene. In this case, there is even a risk that the toes or feet will need to be amputated

Also read:

1. One of the most characteristic symptoms of a Delta infection
2. Why do vaccinated people get COVID-19? An expert on the Delta variant
3. Delta mutation dangerous for vaccinated. Disturbing data from Israel
4. The Delta variant in Poland – these regions are the most threatened

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