An interesting paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine describes this as a vaccine which could prevent infection caused by known and future variants of concern as well as infection with pre-emergent sarbecoviruses i.e. those with potential to cause disease in humans in the future would be ideal.
Researchers provide data showing that potent cross-clade pan-sarbecovirus neutralising antibodies were induced in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1, SARS-CoV-1 infection who have been immunised with the BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine (Pfizer vaccine).
The antibody is of a high level and broad spectrum, capable of neutralising not only known variants of concern but also sarbecoviruses that been identified in bats and pangolins and that have the potential to cause human infection.
These findings show the feasibility of a pan-sarbecovirus vaccine strategy.
This is only feasible because in Singapore they had blood available from SARS-CoV-1 survivors from 2003. SARS-CoV-1 killed most people it infected.
The London General Practice, the leading London doctor’s clinic in Harley Street commends the government on its vaccination programme and encourages all those eligible to be vaccinated.
Dr Paul Ettlinger
BM, DRCOG, FRCGP, FRIPH, DOccMed