Vaccines Show Signs Of Efficacy Against Delta Variant, But Is It Enough?

 
• By Alaric DeArment
  
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AstraZeneca and Moderna disclosed clinical and preclinical evidence that their COVID-19 vaccines, Vaxzevria and mRNA-1273, provide protection against the B.1.617.2 strain.

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AstraZeneca and Moderna said their vaccines have shown activity against the Delta strain of SARS-CoV-2 • Source: Shutterstock

AstraZeneca PLC and Moderna, Inc. both announced that their COVID-19 vaccines show signs of efficacy against the Delta (B.1.617.2) and other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern as evidence mounts that Delta in particular is able to evade protection by Moderna’s mRNA-1273 and Pfizer Inc./BioNTech SE’s BNT162b2. The question now is whether booster shots will provide protection from the variant, first identified in India, as well as other more virulent strains.

London-based AstraZeneca said on 28 June that an analysis from the University of Oxford-led COV001 and COV002 trials of Vaxzevria,...

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