Pfizer: Trial suggests COVID-19 vaccine effective against South African variant

Pfizer and BioNTech said on Thursday that a recent trial suggests that protection from the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine lasts at least six months, and may also be effective against the coronavirus variant first found in South Africa.

The companies in a press release said data from a 12,000 person trial in South Africa, where the B.1.351 strain is prevalent, found that their vaccine was 100 percent effective at preventing cases of the disease.

The variant has raised concerns across the world, as it has proved to be resistant to some of the protections generated by therapeutics and vaccines.

The trial also found that safety and efficacy of the vaccine hold up over time. There were no serious safety concerns observed in trial participants six months after being immunized, and overall effectiveness was more than 91 percent against disease with any symptoms for six months, the companies said.