If new variants of the virus emerge that the vaccines do not work against, a new crisis will ensue. But it's a scenario the EU is preparing for, says the Norwegian vaccine distributor.
A new chapter in vaccine development has opened in recent weeks, says Swedish vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström.
- This chapter is about the fact that we will have to be re-vaccinated.
Bergström is negotiating vaccine doses for the EU and is the man who delivers the vaccines to Norway via Sweden.
A third dose of the vaccine will probably be needed for good protection. It may also be necessary if new mutations emerge for which current vaccines do not work.
It is currently unknown when exactly we will have to be vaccinated with the new variants of the virus. There are several factors involved.
The European Commission has entered into agreements with Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna to double the number of vaccine shipments.
Overall, the EU has provided enough vaccines for the entire population to be re-vaccinated, says Bergström.
- Production is expected to accelerate in the fall and next year, to re-vaccinate with a third dose if necessary. It may also happen that we will have to deal with new mutations - says the head of the vaccine sales department.
. Two variants
The variants of the virus that the world is now concerned about are strains native to South Africa, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.
It is the latter that causes the majority of infections in Oslo and elsewhere.
All three variants of the virus are more contagious than the Chinese virus. This means that further measures may be necessary to prevent the infection from getting out of control.
Another concern is that there will be several variants that will mutate and they will be immune to vaccines.
Read our previous article on a more optimistic version of events.
Bergström therefore explains two options for further work on vaccinations:
- New mutations: if there is a completely new mutation that the vaccines we have today don't work against, everyone will then have to get a new vaccine.
- Booster vaccination : Nobody knows how long we are immune to covid-19 after vaccination. In a year or two, we may need a vaccine update. Bergström doubts that we will need a "vaccine update" in the fall.
The EU is preparing for both options. The first issue will require changing the vaccines, which, according to the producers themselves, will not take too long.
- There is a risk if another mutation occurs, but then we will be prepared for it.
Update after summer
Moderna and Pfizer / BioNTech, which are mRNA vaccines, are working on updating their vaccine against the South African variant virus, the vaccine coordinator says. Vaccines work against a variant of the virus but are not as effective.
If a new, updated version is to be available on the market, it must be approved by the European Medicines Agency. However, according to Bergström, the new permit can be obtained "fairly quickly".
"Vaccines can be updated after summer, if needed," he says.
. On the safe side
Agreements the EU has with vaccine manufacturers mean Norway will be able to receive a total of 11 million doses in the second half of 2021 and the first half of 2022.
The reason the union has made so many deals is because of an emergency, precisely because we need either an updated vaccine or a new dose that works against a possible new variant.
- These are the mutations we are concerned about. Then we must be prepared to switch to updated vaccines, says Bergström, and continues:
- We have to be one step ahead of the virus to deal with it. Therefore, it is very important that this work is prepared. "We have to plan for the worst and hope for the best," he says.
