Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 23: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that there is a possibility that the mutated virus might evade the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine.
While it is anticipated that vaccine efficacy will not be significantly hampered by a mutated virus, DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan said that the new variant might escape the immune response made by the existing vaccines that have been developed against the original strain of Covid-19.
“Dubbed VUI-202012/01 (first variant under investigation in December 2020), the mutant is more infectious than earlier strains of the virus,” he added.
He said that the variant carries 14 defining mutations including seven in the spike protein, the protein that mediates entry of the virus into human cells.
Dr Nisar said most Covid-19 vaccines produce antibodies that disable the virus by gumming up its spike protein.
“When the spike protein mutates, as it has in the new variant it could potentially evade antibodies by the vaccine that uses the older version of the spike protein,” he said.
“An inability to protect against variant strains may severely limit the strategic benefit of vaccines containing only the original strain.”
“To have long term efficacy against Covid-19, it may be necessary for vaccines to include multiple variants of the spike protein as immunogens,” Dr Nisar said.
He said that the mutated strain has caused Covid-19 cases to a spike in the UK and the infections.
“It is possible that the variant could have already entered many other countries including India and we have to wait and see if it slowly shows up,” he said.
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