British experts have indicated that a vaccine produced by a French company might be the magic solution in combating the new variant of the coronavirus known as "Omicron." Countries have rushed to implement precautionary measures to prevent the arrival of the "Omicron" variant within their borders, with many announcing the suspension of flights from South Africa, where the new variant was discovered last week. The significant concern regarding the coronavirus variant stems from the presence of numerous mutations, estimated at 32 mutations, which could help the virus evade immunity and the effects of current vaccines, potentially bringing the pandemic back to square one.
On their part, companies did not remain idle; American company Pfizer announced that it is investigating the new variant, first identified in Botswana, a neighboring country to South Africa. Pfizer stated that it could develop new doses within 6 weeks, with shipments starting in 3 months. However, experts told the British newspaper "Daily Mail" that a single dose of a ready French vaccine could be effective against the new variant, estimating that it could be highly effective against "Omicron."
Experts attribute this assessment to the unique properties of the "Valneva" vaccine. The "Valneva" vaccine contains an inactivated form of the coronavirus that cannot cause disease and protects against illness by introducing the immune system to the viral threat. This prompts the immune system to produce antibodies, aiding the body in combating the virus if it breaches defenses. In contrast, the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines utilize what are known as "genetic fragments" of the "Spike" protein, a part of the virus that attacks healthy cells, which most vaccines use to train the immune system against "COVID-19."
Because the "Valneva" vaccine includes more parts of the virus, allowing the immune system to recognize it more comprehensively, experts believe it may be more "resistant to mutations" than other vaccines. Professor Adam Finn, a member of the UK government's advisory group on vaccination against coronavirus, stated that there is strong theoretical evidence that a single dose of the "Valneva" vaccine could provide protection against the "Omicron" variant. He added, "It is clear that we will need to re-evaluate how it interacts with this variant," emphasizing the necessity of doing so swiftly. He considered that this vaccine might be more adaptable than others.
Results from trials conducted on the vaccine published last month showed that it was 95% effective in preventing infection. Additionally, trials involving 4,000 participants indicated that there were no severe cases among the participants.
