Tag: Pfizer-BioNTech

Study says COVID mRNA vaccines safe during pregnancy — 10 key points

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A new Lancet study has found COVID-19 mRNA vaccines to be safe to be administered during pregnancy. It also revealed that there were “lower rates of significant adverse events following immunisation in pregnant people than non-pregnant vaccine recipients for both mRNA vaccines used in Canada, after dose one and dose two.”

The study also supported the importance of high vaccine coverage for the protection of pregnant persons and infants. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, was conducted between December 2020 and November 2021 among participants across seven Canadian provinces.

It included samples of pregnant, vaccinated women aged 15-49 years. These were compared with samples of non-pregnant vaccinated women and pregnant unvaccinated falling in a similar age group. “For statistical modelling, the analysis was restricted to those who received any mRNA vaccines BNT162b2 (Pfizer) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna)”.

“COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have a good safety profile in pregnancy,” it said in conclusion.

In this study, researchers also focused on the side effects in a group of vaccinated pregnant women simultaneously as both an unvaccinated pregnant group and a vaccinated non-pregnant group. Rates of significant adverse events following immunisation were highest after the second dose for Moderna recipients. However, it said, “both mRNA vaccines are highly immunogenic and effective in pregnancy.”

Here are some key takeaways from the study

Overall, 226 (4·0 percent) of 5,597 mRNA-vaccinated pregnant females reported a significant health event within seven days after dose one of an mRNA vaccine, and 227 (7·3 percent) of 3,108 after dose two.

1. The health event rates were similar after dose one for both mRNA vaccines — 137 of 3,414 for Pfizer BioNTech and 89 of 2183 for Moderna — but higher for Moderna than Pfizer after dose two.
2. The most common significant health events after the second dose of Moderna in pregnant women are feeling unwell or malaise or myalgia (139 of 1,216), headache or migraine (103 of 1,216), and respiratory tract infection (68 of 1,216).
3. Among pregnant and vaccinated participants who reported significant health events, most of them recognised their symptoms within 24 hours following vaccination — 57·5 percent of 226 after dose one and 82·4 percent of 227 after dose two of an mRNA vaccine. The majority — 54·9 percent of 226 after dose one and 74·0 percent of 227 —  resolved within three days.
4. In comparison, 3·2 percent of 339 pregnant unvaccinated (control group) participants reported similar events in the seven days before survey completion. Of these, 18·2 percent reported their symptoms as resolved at least 24 hours before the control survey and 81·8 percent reported their events as ongoing for at least six days.
5. The reported serious health events were rare — reported among eight (0·4 percent) of 1,892 and 11 (0·9 percent) of 1216 across various pregnant groups. This occurred at similar rates in vaccinated pregnant individuals and unvaccinated controls and after doses one and two for all vaccine types.
6. Miscarriage or stillbirth was the most frequently reported adverse pregnancy outcome, and it was reported at similar rates between control (2·1 percent of 339) and vaccinated groups within seven days after dose one of any mRNA vaccine. Almost all pregnancy losses occurred during the first trimester.
7. Other adverse pregnancy outcomes such as vaginal bleeding, abnormal fetal heart rate, and reduced fetal movement were rarely reported within seven days following any mRNA vaccination.
8. The first dose of any mRNA vaccine and either dose of Pfizer were not associated with an increased risk of significant health events. Similarly, the researchers found “no significant association between vaccination status and serious health events in pregnant people”.
9. The increase in significant health events after dose two of any mRNA vaccine was no longer observed when researchers restricted their outcome variable to events requiring medical consultation. “When restricted to events resulting in medical consultation, there was no difference between groups in any of the analyses.”
10. Pregnant people in this study reported high rates of injection site pain (92 percent after dose two), fatigue (72 percent), headache (55 percent), myalgia (54 percent) and fever or chills (35–37 percent), with higher rates of adverse events after dose two than after dose one.

Conclusion

“…We found that significant health events — new or worsening health events following vaccination sufficient to cause work or school absenteeism, medical consultation, or prevent daily activities — were lower in pregnant people than in age-matched non-pregnant vaccine recipients,” the study said.

Researchers said the data could be used to appropriately inform pregnant people regarding the “reactogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines” during pregnancy. The finding should also be considered alongside effectiveness and immunogenicity data to make appropriate recommendations about the “best use of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy”.

What are COVID-19 mRNA vaccines?

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. According to the CDC, many vaccines put a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies to trigger an immune response.

But this is not the case with mRNA vaccines. These vaccines use “mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein — or even just a piece of a protein — that triggers an immune response inside our bodies”.

This immune response, which produces antibodies, is what helps protect people from getting sick from that germ in the future.

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Pfizer says 3 COVID-19 shots protect children under 5

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Three doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than 5, the company announced Monday. Pfizer plans to give the data to US regulators later this week in a step toward letting the littlest kids get the shots.

The news comes after months of anxious waiting by parents desperate to vaccinate their babies, toddlers and preschoolers, especially as COVID-19 cases once again are rising. The 18 million tots under 5 are the only group in the US not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

The Food and Drug Administration has begun evaluating data from rival Moderna, which hopes to begin offering two kid-sized shots by summer.

Pfizer has had a bumpier time figuring out its approach. It aims to give tots an even lower dose just one-tenth of the amount adults receive but discovered during its trial that two shots didn’t seem quite strong enough for preschoolers.

ALSO READ | US CDC urges Pfizer COVID-19 booster for children aged 5 to 11 years

So researchers gave a third shot to more than 1,600 youngsters from age 6 months to 4 years during the winter surge of the omicron variant.

In a press release, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said the extra shot did the trick, revving up tots levels of virus-fighting antibodies enough to meet FDA criteria for emergency use of the vaccine with no safety problems.

Preliminary data suggested the three-dose series is 80 percent effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, the companies said, but they cautioned the calculation is based on just 10 cases diagnosed among study participants by the end of April.

ALSO READ | Pfizer offers voluntary retirement scheme for field staff

The study rules state that at least 21 cases are needed to formally determine effectiveness, and Pfizer promised an update as soon as more data is available.

The companies already had submitted data on the first two doses to the FDA, and BioNTech5’s CEO, Dr Ugur Sahin, said the final third-shot data would be submitted this week.

The study suggests that a low, three-microgram dose of our vaccine, carefully selected based on tolerability data, provides young children with a high level of protection against the recent COVID-19 strains, he said in a statement.

ALSO READ | Pfizer shares jump 3.5%, Laurus Labs slips 3%; why pharma stocks are trading mixed

What’s next? FDA vaccine chief Dr Peter Marks has pledged the agency will move quickly without sacrificing our standards in evaluating tot-sized doses from both Pfizer and Moderna.

The agency has set tentative dates next month for its scientific advisers to publicly debate data from each company.

Moderna is seeking to be the first to vaccinate the littlest kids. It submitted data to the FDA saying tots develop high levels of virus-fighting antibodies after two shots that contain a quarter of the dose given to adults.

ALSO READ | Pfizer, BioNTech seek emergency authorization for COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5 years of age in the US

The Moderna study found effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 was 40 percent to 50 percent during the Omicon surge, much like for adults who only had two vaccine doses.

Complicating Moderna’s progress, the FDA so far has allowed its vaccine to be used only in adults.

The FDA is expected to review Moderna’s data on both the youngest age group, plus its study of teens and elementary-age children. Other countries already have expanded Moderna’s shot to kids as young as 6.

While COVID-19 generally isn’t as dangerous to youngsters as to adults, some children do become severely ill or even die. And the Omicron variant hit children especially hard, with those under 5 hospitalized at higher rates than at the peak of the previous delta surge.

Its not clear how much demand there will be to vaccinate the youngest kids. Pfizer shots for 5- to 11-year-olds opened in November, but only about 30 percent of that age group have gotten the recommended initial two doses.

Last week, US health authorities said elementary-age children should get a booster shot just like everyone 12 and older is supposed to get, for the best protection against the latest coronavirus variants.

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US CDC urges Pfizer COVID-19 booster for children aged 5 to 11 years

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Kids aged 5 to 11 years should get a booster dose of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine, advisers to the US government said on Thursday.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quickly adopted the panel’s recommendation, opening a third COVID-19 shot to healthy elementary-age kids just like what is already recommended for everybody 12 and older.

The hope is that an extra shot will shore up protection for kids ages 5 to 11 as infections once again are on the rise.

ALSO READ: Dr Reddy’s looks to sell Sputnik Light as ‘universal booster,’ to seek DGCI nod by July

“Vaccination with a primary series among this age group has lagged behind other age groups leaving them vulnerable to serious illness,” said CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky, in a statement.

“We know that these vaccines are safe, and we must continue to increase the number of children who are protected,” she said.

Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s kid-sized booster, to be offered at least five months after the youngsters’ last shot.

ALSO READ | North Korea COVID outbreak: Suspected caseload nears 2 million

The CDC takes the next step of recommending who actually needs vaccinations. Its advisers debated if all otherwise healthy 5- to 11-year-olds need an extra dose, especially since so many children were infected during the huge winter surge of the omicron variant.

But the US now is averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 cases a day for the first time since February. And ultimately, the CDC’s advisers pointed to growing evidence from older kids and adults that two primary vaccinations plus a booster are providing the best protection against the newest coronavirus variants.

This always perhaps should have been a three-dose vaccine, said Dr Grace Lee of Stanford University, who chairs the CDCs advisory panel.

The booster question isn’t the hottest vaccine topic: Parents still are anxiously awaiting a chance to vaccinate kids under 5 the only group not yet eligible in the US.

ALSO READ | WHO finds short-term benefit of additional booster dose of mRNA vaccine in health workers

Dr Doran Fink of the Food and Drug Administration said the agency is working as rapidly as we can to evaluate an application from vaccine maker Moderna, and is awaiting final data on the littlest kids from rival Pfizer. The FDA’s own advisers are expected to publicly debate data from one or both companies next month.

For the 5- to 11-year-olds, it’s not clear how much booster demand there will be. Only about 30 percent of that age group have had the initial two Pfizer doses since vaccinations opened to them in November.

CDC adviser Dr Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University said health authorities must put more effort into getting youngsters their initial shots.

That needs to be a priority, she said.

ALSO READ | Chinese economy takes a hit as Beijing, Shanghai reel under lockdown

Thursday’s decision also means that 5- to 11-year-olds with severely weakened immune systems, who are supposed to get three initial shots, would be eligible for a fourth dose.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech currently make the only COVID-19 vaccine available for children of any age in the US. Those ages 5 to 11 receive a dose that’s one-third the amount given to everyone 12 and older.

In a small study, Pfizer found a booster revved up those kids’ levels of virus-fighting antibodies including those able to fight the super-contagious omicron variant the same kind of jump adults get from an extra shot.

Vaccines may not always prevent milder infections, and the omicron variant proved especially able to slip past their defenses. But CDC cited data during the omicron surge that showed unvaccinated 5- to 11-year-olds had twice the rate of hospitalization as youngsters who got their first two doses.

Health authorities say for all ages, the vaccines are still offering strong protection against COVID-19’s worst outcomes, especially after a third dose.

Some especially high-risk people, including those 50 and older, have been offered the choice of a second booster, or fourth shot. And still to be decided is whether everyone will need additional shots in the fall, possibly reformulated to offer better protection against newer coronavirus variants.

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Omicron threat: US allows Pfizer booster for 16- and 17-year-olds

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expanding COVID-19 boosters, ruling that 16- and 17-year-olds can get a third dose of Pfizer’s vaccine.

The US and many other nations already were urging adults to get booster shots to pump up immunity that can wane months after vaccination, calls that intensified with the discovery of the worrisome new Omicron variant.

On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorisation for 16- and 17-year-olds to get a third dose of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech — if its been six months since their last shot.

Also read: Countries weigh need for booster COVID-19 shots amid Omicron scare

There’s one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must formally recommend the boosters for this age group and a decision is expected soon.

The Pfizer vaccine is the only option in the US for anyone younger than 18, either for initial vaccination or for use as a booster. Its not yet clear if or when teens younger than 16 might need a third Pfizer dose.

Vaccinations for children as young as 5 years old just began last month, using special low-dose Pfizer shots. By this week, about 5 million 5-to-11-year-olds had gotten a first dose.

Also read: BioNTech, Pfizer data suggests boosters may protect against Omicron infection

The extra-contagious delta variant is causing nearly all COVID-19 infections in the US, and in much of the world. Its not yet clear how vaccines will hold up against the new and markedly different Omicron mutant. But there’s strong evidence that boosters offer a jump in protection against delta-caused infections, currently the biggest threat.

Complicating the decision to extend boosters to 16- and 17-year-olds is that the Pfizer shot — and a similar vaccine made by Moderna — have been linked to a rare side effect. Called myocarditis, its a type of heart inflammation seen mostly in younger men and teen boys.

Health officials in Israel, which already gives boosters to teens, have said the side effect continues to be rare with third doses.

A U.S. study this week offered additional reassurance. Researchers from children’s hospitals around the country checked medical records and found the rare side effect usually is mild and people recover quickly, while COVID-19 itself can cause more serious heart inflammation. The research was published Monday in the journal Circulation.

Also read: COVID-19: Must learn to live with viruses; concerned about ethics of booster shots, says Dr Mathew Varghese

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BioNTech, Pfizer vaccine neutralises Omicron with three shots

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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BioNTech and Pfizer said on Wednesday a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test and they could deliver an Omicron-based vaccine in March 2022 if needed.

In the first official statement from vaccine manufacturers on the likely efficacy of their shot against Omicron, BioNTech and Pfizer said that two vaccine doses resulted in significantly lower neutralising antibodies but that the third dose of their vaccine increased the neutralising antibodies by a factor of 25.

Also Read | Scientists find ‘stealth version’ of Omicron, say tracking variant could be difficult

Blood obtained from people that had their third booster shot a month ago neutralised the Omicron variant about as effectively as blood after two doses fought off the original virus first found in China. “Ensuring as many people as possible are fully vaccinated with the first two-dose series and a booster remains the best course of action to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Pfizer boss Albert Bourla said in the statement.

The findings are broadly in line with a preliminary study published by researchers at the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa on Tuesday, saying that Omicron can partially evade protection from two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, suggesting also that a third shot might help fend off infection.

A lab analysis at the university hospital of Frankfurt, Germany, however, found a reduced antibody response to Omicron even after three shots.

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COVID-19: EU drug regulator approves use of Pfizer vaccine for 5-11 year olds

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The EU’s drug regulator approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 on Thursday, paving the way for them to be given the first shot as Europe struggles to contain a surge in infections.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended that Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine, approved for European Union use in teenagers between 12 and 17 years old since May, be given as an injection in the upper arm in two 10 microgram doses, three weeks apart. Adult doses contain 30 micrograms.

The approval comes as Europe is again the epicentre of the pandemic again, accounting for about half of cases and deaths.

Inoculating children and young people, who can unwittingly transmit COVID-19 to others, is considered a critical step towards taming the pandemic. In Germany and the Netherlands, kids now account for the majority of cases.

Pfizer and BioNTech have said their vaccine, which is called Comirnaty, showed 90.7 percent efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of children aged 5 to 11.

“The benefits of Comirnaty in children aged 5 to 11 outweigh the risks, particularly in those with conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19,” the EMA said.

While final approval is up to the European Commission, it typically follows EMA recommendations and an EU source told Reuters that a decision would likely come on Friday.

Also Read | COVID cases break records in Europe, prompting booster shot rethink

“Today’s recommendation (…) is clear the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective for young children, and can offer them additional protection,” EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Twitter.

Countries will not be able to start rolling out the shots among younger children until next month. The first of the low-dose paediatric version will be delivered on December 20, a spokeswoman for BioNTech said.

Polish Health Ministry spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz told state-run news agency PAP that Poland would start vaccinating children aged 5-11 in December.

The EU joins a growing number of countries, including the United States, Canada, Israel, China and Saudi Arabia, which have cleared vaccines for children in the 5-11 year age group and younger.

Tens of millions of children in this age group will be eligible for the shot in the EU. Germany will get 2.4 million doses with the first shipment, enough to inoculate about half the country’s children aged 5-11, the BioNTech spokeswoman said.

For paediatric shots, the US regulator authorised a new version of the vaccine, which uses a new buffer and allows them to be stored in refrigerators for up to 10 weeks.

Surging cases in Europe have prompted new unpopular curbs on movement as winter grips the region and people gather indoors for celebrations in the run-up to Christmas, providing perfect conditions for COVID-19 to spread.

Slovakia started a two-week lockdown on Thursday, following the lead of Austria, while the Portuguese and French governments are considering more restrictions.

While health experts have pushed the wider use of booster shots to try and avoid hospitals being overwhelmed as immunity from earlier shots wanes, vaccinating younger people is another tool in fighting the virus.

Some countries, however, have limited the use of COVID-19 shots based on the so-called mRNA technology used by Pfizer-BioNTech to younger people after reports of possible rare cardiovascular side-effects.

Top US infectious disease official Anthony Fauci told Reuters this week there had been no sign of any new safety issues since the rollout of vaccines for younger kids started earlier this month.

At least 10 percent of the 28 million eligible US children have had a first dose.

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US FDA authorises booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine for certain populations

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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US booster campaign gets closer as FDA OKs extra shots of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for seniors, others at high risk.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine only 39% effective against Delta variant, claims Israel study

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are only 39 percent effective in preventing infection and symptomatic illness caused by the Delta variant of coronavirus, Israeli officials said on July 22. The percentage was scaled down from the estimated 64 percent two weeks ago to 39 percent by Israel’s Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson vaccine was found to be 33 percent effective against the Delta variant.

The Israel Health Ministry said the Pfizer vaccine is still effective and provides high levels of protection against hospitalization at 92 percent and severe illness at 91 percent for patients who have tested positive for the Delta variant.

The revised efficacy percentage is based on recent data collected from an unspecified number of people between June 20 and July 17, according to reports. In the initial clinical trials, the Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy against other variants was found to be 95 percent.

Also Read: Managing the COVID-19 ‘Syndemic’

Reports by Public Health England and others, however, suggest that there is only slight decrease when it comes to protection against infection and illness when compared to Israel’s findings.

A joint statement by Pfizer and BioNTech based on the health ministry’s statement said, though real-world data from Israel shows there is a decline in vaccine efficacy six months post-vaccination against infection and symptomatic disease, “efficacy in preventing serious illnesses remains high.”

Dr Isaac Bogoch, Infectious Disease Professor at the University of Toronto, told CNBC, the shots are still effective in preventing severe infections and hospitalization, and “we’re still in the COVID era and anything can happen,”.

Meanwhile, the Delta variant has spread to over 100 countries.

The US is seeing infections in fully vaccinated people. White House chief medical officer Dr Anthony Fauci has recommended fully vaccinated people consider wearing masks indoors as the virus is capable of transmitting from person to person.

Pfizer, witnessing a decrease in its two-dose vaccine efficacy, remained cautious and sought authorisation from the Food and Drug Administration for a booster dose, which has been denied by officials.

Follow latest updates on COVID-19 here 

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EU finalizes deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for 1.8 billion doses

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The European Union’s executive arm on Thursday finalized a third vaccine contract with Pfizer and BioNTech through 2023 for an additional 1.8 billion doses of their COVID-19 shot. The European Commission said the deal, which was agreed on behalf of all 27 EU countries earlier this month, will allow the buying of 900 million doses of the current shots and of a serum adapted to the virus’ variants, with an option to purchase an extra 900 million shots.

The signature of the agreement comes less than a week before a court hearing in Brussels pitting the Commission against the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which is accused by the EU of failing to deliver the promised number of doses of its own vaccine.

The Commission said that the deal with Pfizer-BioNTech stipulates that the production of doses must be based in the EU and that essential components are sourced from the region. From the start of the supply in 2022, the delivery to the EU is guaranteed,” the Commission said.

AstraZeneca’s contract with the EU foresaw an initial 300 million doses for distribution among member countries, with an option for a further 100 million. The doses were expected to be delivered throughout 2021 but only 30 million were sent during the first quarter. According to the Commission, the company is set to provide only 70 million doses in the second quarter, rather than the 180 million it had promised.

In sharp contrast with the tense nature of its relationship with AstraZeneca, the Commission highlighted its well-established cooperation” with BioNTech and Pfizer guaranteeing that timely deliveries of the doses are ensured.”

The Commission said that under the new deal EU countries will have the possibility to donate some of their allocated doses to non-EU countries or through the U.N-backed effort known as COVAX, which is providing vaccines to low- and middle-income countries.

Stella Kyriakides, the commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said the EU is now prioritizing vaccine technologies that have proven their worth, like mRNA vaccines.”

The active ingredient in the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is messenger RNA, or mRNA, which contains the instructions for human cells to construct a harmless piece of the coronavirus called the spike protein. The human immune system recognizes the spike protein as foreign, allowing it to mount a response against the virus upon infection.

But we keep our options open,” Kyriakides said. The past months have clearly demonstrated the need to have access to a broad portfolio of vaccines and different technologies, as well as reliable partners. As the pace of vaccination increases every day and work on effective therapeutics intensifies, we can look ahead with more optimism and confidence.

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told in an event organized by Germany’s WDR public television that, by the end of this week, 260 million doses of vaccine will have been delivered in Europe. She acknowledged that countries such as the US and U.K. were faster to start with, but said that has been put into perspective over time.

After its much-criticized slow start, she said the blocs COVID-19 vaccination drive is a success.

Yes, there was a lot of criticism of the European Union at the beginning,” she said in comments broadcast Thursday. What counts in the end is that the European Union reliably delivers vaccines to its 450 million citizens day by day and that we can say we got there together as a community. Measured by that, our European vaccination campaign is a success.

Follow our LIVE COVID-19 blog for the latest           

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COVID-19 variants: India’s failure to monitor new strains worries experts

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The COVID-19 vaccines, now in use in India, work against the new virus strain currently wreaking havoc in India and several other countries. But what concerns scientists is that this strain will not remain as the only version of the pathogen to emerge from the recent pandemic, a Bloomberg report mentioned.

The report highlighted that India’s struggle to track new variants could worsen the COVID-19 crisis. With new infections rising on an average by over three lakh cases for 14 consecutive days, India’s limited ability to track new mutations emerging from its outbreak is a growing concern for scientists, the report added.

Second or even third-generation versions of the COVID-19 virus variant known as B.1.617 could already be circulating in India and some are likely to be more deadly, the report said, quoting William Haseltine, a former Harvard Medical School professor and current chairperson at Access Health International, a US-based think tank.

The new strain found in India is called a double mutant because of the presence of two changes in the genome of the virus. Some researchers estimate that the B.1.617 variant is as transmissible as the B.1.1.7 variant that emerged in the UK, the report added.

According to the report, BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin expressed confidence that the mRNA shot his lab is making in collaboration with Pfizer would work against the India mutant, though testing is still underway, the report mentioned.

Researchers are focusing on the next set of variants while the findings ease concerns around the B.1.617 variant. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been watching variants through a global working group of laboratories, the report added.

Currently, India’s labs are not well-equipped to carry out necessary monitoring of the new strains as the country’s health infrastructure is already under severe stress, the report said.

India has registered 4.12 lakh new COVID-19 cases on May 6, which has taken the total tally to over two crore cases, with as many as 2,30,168 casualties. The Phase 3 of immunisation to vaccinate the age group of 18-44, which commenced from May 1, has got off to a slow start.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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