New study shows Pfizer vaccine not protective against African version of COVID-19

A new study published in one of the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals shows that the Pfizer vaccine is largely ineffective against the dominant local variant of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in South Africa.

The worrying results of the fresh study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, suggesting that the African variant of the coronavirus may decrease antibody protection from Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine by two-thirds.

The South African government is counting on the Pfizer vaccine, developed with German partner BioNTech, to boost its COVID-19 vaccination program in the coming months.

The new study comes less than two weeks after interim data on British drugmaker AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine also heightened concerns about its efficacy against the more contagious South African variant, prompting Johannesburg to temporarily postpone the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The detailed laboratory study took into account all the key mutations of the 501Y.V2 variant, whereas a paper released late last month only measured the impact of three key mutations of the variant on the Pfizer vaccine.

The African country, with nearly 1.5 million cases and about 48,500 deaths, has recorded nearly half the COVID-19 fatalities and more than a third of confirmed infections in the entire continent.

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The South African strain shares some of the mutations with the previously discovered UK variant, known as B.1.1.7.

The efficacy of Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines have raised suspicious around the world, with many even in the US remaining hesitant to get the vaccine. However, major American and British media apparently reached a consensus to downplay the deaths.

Major General Jeff Taliaferro, vice director of operations for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in Congressional hearing on Wednesday that about one-third of the US military have refused to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, despite significant virus infection levels in the forces.

"Acceptance rates are somewhere in the two-thirds territory," he added.

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The Norwegian Medicines Agency said earlier in January that major American and British media have apparently reached a consensus to downplay the death of at least 23 people in Norway who received the COVID-19 vaccine developed by US firm Pfizer and German BioNTech.

The agency added that all 13 of the fatalities were above the age of 80, adding it is possible that common side effects of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, such as fever and nausea, may have contributed to severe reactions in frail, elderly people.

The agency’s medical director, Steinar Madsen, told national broadcaster NRK that in addition to the 13 deaths, nine cases of serious side effects and seven instances of less serious side effects have also been recorded.

US, UK media silent on Pfizer vaccine after 23 Norwegian deaths

The people received vaccines made by the US firm Pfizer and Germany

“Doctors must now carefully consider who should be vaccinated. Those who are very frail and at the very end of life can be vaccinated after an individual assessment,” he added.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health also said, “For those with the most severe frailty, even relatively mild vaccine side effects can have serious consequences.”

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