Coronavirus: AstraZeneca begins trials for modified booster vaccine against Beta variant

New Delhi: The Giant Pharmaceutical Company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford June 27 began new trials to assess a modified vaccine against the Beta variant of COVID-19. A beta variant of the coronavirus first emerged in South Africa.

According to a media report, the booster COVID-19 vaccine trials will be conducted upon 2,250 individuals from Brazil, Poland, Britain, and South Africa. These 2,250 participants are those who have been fully vaccinated with two doses of the original Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine or an mRNA vaccine such as Pfizer.

A New boosted coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and is known as AZD2816. This new booster COVID-19 vaccine has also been designed using the same base as the main AstraZeneca shot but with minor genetic alterations.

Andrew Pollard – Chief investigator and director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford said, “Testing booster doses of existing vaccines and new variant vaccines is important to ensure we are best prepared to stay ahead of the pandemic coronavirus, should their use be needed.”

The UK-based experts have explained that “Even though the country has had a successful vaccine rollout program, it remains unknown to the experts as if how long protection lasts in an individual body.”

Maheshi Ramasamy, Principal Investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group also said that “This study will provide vital evidence on whether further doses including ‘tweaks’ against new virus variants may be needed in the future.”

Meanwhile, Initial data from the trial is expected later this year.

Some medical experts across the world on the current vaccine say, that it is less effective against the beta variant of coronavirus.