Indian Variant of Concern

[MakkaPakkasSpongyThing]

Would like to ask those who have more knowledge than me!

1. there is no evidence - as yet, that it could evade the vaccine?
2. is it too early to tell (lag effect)?
3. could it become more problematic come winter time, if so why?
4. is it a variant of concern to all countries worldwide, or just some?
5. with a potential 3rd jab on its way to protect against variants, how is it possible to protect against a variant when it’s potential impact is not yet know? Surely it takes more time?

Ones you might not be entitled to unless you're part of vaccine research. Medical journals you pay for.

How convenient!

[quote SilverGlassHare]@Torvean I work in this field and the major academic publishers have made all covid- and vaccine-related material free to access. So do please share links. Even preprints and material in peer-review is being made available, so I find it very hard to believe that it’s all behind a paywall.[/quote]
Also, surely it would be huge news if they knew a variant was totally vaccine resistant, rather than hidden behind a paywall.

[quote Baileysforchristmas]Interesting article, it’s looking very promising re vaccines and variants

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57073312[/quote]
For Pfizer, yes.

Looks like Pfizer, being over 20% more effective than AZ, is the one to have If you want to be confident of avoiding Long Covid.

Likewise the variants. The article refers to data suggesting that Pfizer is still effective.

It's looking like potentially those who've had AZ will need a Pfizer booster.

Let's hope astra does enough for now and by autumn we can roll out more Pfizer.
It's winter I'm more concerned about.

I think a good way of preparing for winter would be ensuring enough supplies of boosters. Particularly (if supply is limited) for those most vulnerable. To include all the vulnerable - so 45+ for increased risk of hospitalision and death (ideally 40+ because of the higher risk of long Covid particularly for women in their 40s).

I think - of those vaccinated in India - their version of the AZ vaccine is the one that’s been most widely used. Is there any data on its effectiveness?

Only about 10% of the population in India have been vaccinated. This is with AZ or their versions of AZ. Data coming from India show the vaccine is working well against that variant. The virus is circling greatly in the 90% not vaccinated though. Scary stuff.

Pfizer has no real world data that I know of for the India variant but this week said that there vaccine will work against all the variants.

Most scientists are starting to doubt we will need boosters in the Autumn. As all the vaccines believed to work well against all variants. Potentially only the vulnerable elderly with weaker immune systems that loose antibodies easily will get boosters. All the vaccine companies continue to work on boosters just in case.

Why would the AZ vaccine be different in India to ours?
Also I’ve read few posts here saying that the ones who had the AZ vaccine can’t have an AZ booster, it will heed to be Pfizer, why is that so?

This person has different threads about the vaccines and the variants with links to latest data etc

mobile.twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1389900853759315970

Wrt the autumn boosters. Do we know yet how long immunity from vaccines lasts? Once the virus is no longer circulating boosters won't be as important, but won't they be needed if we still have strains spreading? Unless the majority will be fully vaccinated before winter, so limited transmission?

@VaccineSticker

Why would the AZ vaccine be different in India to ours? Also I’ve read few posts here saying that the ones who had the AZ vaccine can’t have an AZ booster, it will heed to be Pfizer, why is that so?

Check out the link I have given. Stop listening to some of the posters on mumsnet

It's a worry as it's already here in east London and will no doubt spread like wildfire through schools and beyond

@Tealightsandd

Wrt the autumn boosters. Do we know yet how long immunity from vaccines lasts? Once the virus is no longer circulating boosters won't be as important, but won't they be needed if we still have strains spreading? Unless the majority will be fully vaccinated before winter, so limited transmission?

The study is only 11 months old. So 11 months so far

Some people now think it could be at least 2 to 3 years! No evidence of that yet though. We wouldn't know until 2 to 3 years 😂

They can only be certain in real time.

@coffeefi

It's a worry as it's already here in east London and will no doubt spread like wildfire through schools and beyond

Yep I am in London too. We have a whole year group out. Don't know it is the India variant though

Thank you for replying @TruelyWonder
So fingers crossed again

I think it would be prudent for the government to try to secure booster supplies. Just in case.

@Tealightsandd

Can you advise where you have read that AZ is less effective at preventing Long Covid than Pfizer?

@BlueBlancmange
I haven't read it anywhere. I was wondering. If Pfizer's efficacy against Covid is around 95% and AZ is 62-70%, I'm guessing Pfizer is more effective than AZ. Simply because long Covid doesn't happen without a Covid infection in the first place. Perhaps I'm wrong. I don't know but I'd like to.

General view among government scientists is that vaccines work against it just as they do against Kent variant. Chris Whitty said so the other day

And Tealights, AZ and Pfizer are pretty much neck and neck when it comes to efficacy in the real world data (outside the clinical trials). They are both brilliant vaccines

Really? That's definitely good news @Oly4
So I was wrong perhaps. I'm glad.

@Tealightsandd

Thank you for replying *@TruelyWonder* So fingers crossed again

I think it would be prudent for the government to try to secure booster supplies. Just in case.

They already have them ordered. That was done before the latest evidence but we could still need them.

I guess the worry is that it’s becoming prevalent and we are not all vaccinated yet. Is the Indian variant causing deaths in younger people?

There is a lot of misinformation about younger people being more infected. Some of that actually came from the Indian government themselves

However data shows that isn't the case.

This link has a article that does a fact check. It is probably worth reading it all.

www.cnn.com/2021/05/03/india/india-coronavirus-fact-check-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

"There is a lot of misinformation about younger people being more infected."

Someone needs to tell the BBC. They've just made reference to under 25s on the main 6 o'clock bulletin.

Some of the answers on here are exactly why asking a load of randoms on the internet and expecting proper information is ridiculous!