The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech protects against two new mutantvariants that are causing rapid spread across the UK, new research suggests.The pharmaceutical giant and researchers from the University of Texas MedicalBranch carried out lab tests on the strains, one of which was found in the UKwhile the other originated in South Africa.
The variants contain mutationsincluding N501Y, an alteration in the spike protein of the virus, which is atarget for vaccines.
In the new study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed,blood samples were taken from 20 people who received the Pfizer vaccine.
