Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

June 11, 2021

BNT162b2-Elicited Neutralization of B.1.617 and Other SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Category:

Topic:

Keywords (Tags): ,

  • An in-vitro study of sera from persons fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine found that all samples neutralized SARS-CoV-2 virus variants B.1.617.1 (Kappa), B.1.617.2 (Delta), B.1.618 (first identified in India) and B.1.525 (Eta, first identified in Nigeria). Neutralization of all variants, with the exception of B.1.617.1, was only slightly reduced compared to neutralization of wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Although neutralization of B.1.617.1 was somewhat reduced, the sera still neutralized this variant. The authors suggest that vaccination will reduce transmission of existing variants and reduce emergence of new variants. 

Liu et al. (June 2021). BNT162b2-Elicited Neutralization of B.1.617 and Other SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03693-y