The conclusion is that anyway several vaccines, which have been tested on the new variant of the virus, particularly from South Africa, show that the strain of the new virus has an impact on the efficacy of the vaccines.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, is affecting the efficacy of vaccines, Minister of Research and Technology and head of the National Research and Innovation Board (BRIN), Bambang PS Brodjonegoro, said.

“The conclusion is that anyway several vaccines, which have been tested on the new variant of the virus, particularly from South Africa, show that the strain of the new virus has an impact on the efficacy of the vaccines," he said during a webinar on ‘Genomic Surveillance, Mutation and Vaccine’ in Jakarta on Monday.

From the trials of COVID-19 vaccines against several variants of the SARS CoV-2 virus, it can be concluded that the mutation of the existing virus has reduced the efficacy of vaccines, he said.

The vaccines include Pfizer, which has been tested against the N501Y and E484K variants; Johnson & Johnson, which has been tested on the new variant from South Africa; and, Oxford-AstraZeneca, which has been tested on the B.1.351 variant from South Africa, he informed.

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The vaccines remain effective in protecting people from the new variants of the coronavirus which causes COVID-19, he added.

The new variants have been identified through whole genome sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus circulating across the world, he said.

Therefore, the Research and Technology Ministry and the Health Ministry have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct and strengthen genome surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the minister added.

The MoU covers scaling up whole genome sequencing, he said.

This way, the virus can easily be identified and the effort to control the COVID-19 pandemic can be stepped up, he explained. (INE)

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Translator: Martha Herlinawati S/Suharto
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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