Study suggests Pfizer vaccine works against coronavirus variant

A new Pfizer study suggests the coronavirus vaccine is effective against the new coronavirus strains.

Pfizer partnered with researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for laboratory tests to see if the mutation affected the vaccine's ability to protect against the virus. The team collected blood samples from 20 people. All recipients received the vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech in a large study of the shots. According to the study, antibodies from the vaccine recipients successfully fended off the virus in lab dishes.

The Pfizer study found that the vaccine appeared to work against 15 additional possible virus mutations.

The study has not been peer-reviewed.

The mutation was originally found in two variants of COVID-19 that was first discovered in Britain and South Africa. The variants are raising concern around the world as coronavirus vaccines gradually roll out because the variants are believed to be more contagious.

Pfizer chief scientific officer Dr. Philip Dormitzer said, "it was a very reassuring finding that at least this mutation, which was one of the ones people are most concerned about, does not seem to be a problem" for the vaccine.

Dormitzer said the study is the beginning “of ongoing monitoring of virus changes to see if any of them might impact on vaccine coverage.”

The variant first was discovered in South Africa and has an additional mutation that has scientists concerned. The variant is named E484K.