The COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University offers similar levels of protection against the new, more contagious variant first discovered in the UK when compared to previous variants, Oxford researchers said in a paper released on Friday. 

The new variant of SARS-CoV-2, B.1.1.7, emerged as the dominant cause of COVID-19 infection in the UK from November 2020 with its high transmissibility when compared to previous strains of the virus. The variant has since been reported in more than 70 other countries.  

Preliminary findings from the paper show that vaccine efficacy against infection from B.1.1.7 was 74.6%, and its efficacy against other strains was 84%, though small sample sizes created a broad range of estimates. 

Andrew Pollard, Chief Investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, said in a statement released on Friday, “The vaccine not only protects against the original pandemic virus, but also protects against the novel variant B.1.1.7, which caused the surge in disease from the end of 2020 across the UK.”

From 1 October 2020 to 14 January 2021, Oxford researchers used swabs taken from volunteers with both symptomatic and asymptomatic infection enrolled in their phase II/III vaccine efficacy study to determine which strain of the virus they had been infected with after receiving either the vaccine or the control. 

These are the first findings regarding the efficacy of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine against new variants, adding to preliminary data from the vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna that also suggest good protection against the B.1.1.7 variant. 

These findings come after Switzerland rejected AstraZeneca’s application for regulatory approval, the first European country to do so. Other European countries also have declared the data on the AstraZeneca vaccine insufficient to permit its use in people over the age of 65. 

However, in a statement released on Wednesday, AstraZeneca had published a primary analysis of its Phase III clinical trials, stating that its vaccine was safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalizations, more than 22 days after the first dose. 

Despite some hesitation over the vaccine, Sarah Gilbert, Chief Investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, maintains the importance of modifying existing vaccines quickly to protect against the new variants. GlaxoSmithKline and CureVac have also announced an agreement to jointly develop a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine that targets new variants. 

Said Gilbert: “Coronaviruses are less prone to mutation than influenza viruses, but we have always expected that as the pandemic continues, new variants will begin to become dominant amongst the viruses that are circulating and that eventually a new version of the vaccine, with an updated spike protein, would be required to maintain vaccine efficacy at the highest level possible.”

“We are working with AstraZeneca to optimise the pipeline required for a strain change should one become necessary. This is the same issue that is faced by all of the vaccine developers, and we will continue to monitor the emergence of new variants that arise in readiness for a future strain change.”

Image Credits: University of Oxford, AstraZeneca.