A person getting vaccinated.Photo: GettyPfizer and its partner BioNTech announced on Thursday that the companies are developing a specially formulatedCOVID-19booster shot to fight against thehighly contagious Delta variant.In astatement, the companies said the third dose of their existing COVID-19 would be helpful against the strain also known as B.1.617.2, however, Pfizer and BioNTech “are remaining vigilant and are developing an updated version of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that targets the full spike protein of the Delta variant.““The first batch of the mRNA for the trial has already been manufactured at BioNTech’s facility in Mainz, Germany,” the companies said, adding it is anticipated that “the clinical studies to begin in August, subject to regulatory approvals.“Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.Justin Tallis - Pool / GettyThe companies estimate that a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be needed 12 months after the first two doses.News of the Delta variant’s dominance comes days after news that theJohnson & Johnson single-dose vaccinecan provideimmunity against COVID-19 for at least eight months, as well as protection against “other highly prevalent SARS-CoV-2 viral variants” of the virus.The companyannounced on Thursdaythat during its trial, the vaccine generated a “strong neutralizing antibody response” to the widely spreading Delta variant, with 85 percent effectiveness.The Johnson & Johnson study follows the lead of Moderna and Pfizer also announced that their vaccines areextremely effective against the Delta variant, preventing illness 90 percent of the time and hospitalization or severe illness 94 percent of the time.RELATED VIDEO: Nurse Whose Husband Died of COVID Is on a Door-to-Door Vaccine Crusade: ‘I Can Help Save Others’Thehighly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19thatspread rapidly in Indiais now in the U.S., worrying health experts with large portions of the country still unvaccinated.The latest report fromthe Centers for Disease Controlestimated 51.7 percent of all new COVID-19 cases are the Delta variant.The strain, which was first identified in India, has also taken hold in the U.K. and represents 90 percent of the country’s cases, NBC Newsreportedon Wednesday.A pregnant woman receiving vaccination.Getty Images"The Delta variant is spreading rapidly throughout the country. This week, the Delta variant is estimated to be the most prevalent variant in the United States, representing over 50 percent of sequenced samples across the country, up from 26 percent from the week ending June 19,” Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control, said during a White House COVID-19briefingon Thursday. “And in some parts of the country, the percentage is even higher. For example, in parts of the Midwest and Upper Mountain states, CDC’s early sequence data suggests the Delta variant accounts for approximately 80 percent of cases.“She added, “Turning the corner on this pandemic, getting back to normal, and stopping the Delta variant requires all of us to do our part and to get vaccinated.“As of Thursday morning, nearly 183 million Americans (55.2 percent of the total population) have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 158 million (47.7 percent) are fully vaccinated, according to theCDC.As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
A person getting vaccinated.Photo: Getty
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced on Thursday that the companies are developing a specially formulatedCOVID-19booster shot to fight against thehighly contagious Delta variant.In astatement, the companies said the third dose of their existing COVID-19 would be helpful against the strain also known as B.1.617.2, however, Pfizer and BioNTech “are remaining vigilant and are developing an updated version of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that targets the full spike protein of the Delta variant.““The first batch of the mRNA for the trial has already been manufactured at BioNTech’s facility in Mainz, Germany,” the companies said, adding it is anticipated that “the clinical studies to begin in August, subject to regulatory approvals.“Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.Justin Tallis - Pool / GettyThe companies estimate that a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be needed 12 months after the first two doses.News of the Delta variant’s dominance comes days after news that theJohnson & Johnson single-dose vaccinecan provideimmunity against COVID-19 for at least eight months, as well as protection against “other highly prevalent SARS-CoV-2 viral variants” of the virus.The companyannounced on Thursdaythat during its trial, the vaccine generated a “strong neutralizing antibody response” to the widely spreading Delta variant, with 85 percent effectiveness.The Johnson & Johnson study follows the lead of Moderna and Pfizer also announced that their vaccines areextremely effective against the Delta variant, preventing illness 90 percent of the time and hospitalization or severe illness 94 percent of the time.RELATED VIDEO: Nurse Whose Husband Died of COVID Is on a Door-to-Door Vaccine Crusade: ‘I Can Help Save Others’Thehighly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19thatspread rapidly in Indiais now in the U.S., worrying health experts with large portions of the country still unvaccinated.The latest report fromthe Centers for Disease Controlestimated 51.7 percent of all new COVID-19 cases are the Delta variant.The strain, which was first identified in India, has also taken hold in the U.K. and represents 90 percent of the country’s cases, NBC Newsreportedon Wednesday.A pregnant woman receiving vaccination.Getty Images"The Delta variant is spreading rapidly throughout the country. This week, the Delta variant is estimated to be the most prevalent variant in the United States, representing over 50 percent of sequenced samples across the country, up from 26 percent from the week ending June 19,” Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control, said during a White House COVID-19briefingon Thursday. “And in some parts of the country, the percentage is even higher. For example, in parts of the Midwest and Upper Mountain states, CDC’s early sequence data suggests the Delta variant accounts for approximately 80 percent of cases.“She added, “Turning the corner on this pandemic, getting back to normal, and stopping the Delta variant requires all of us to do our part and to get vaccinated.“As of Thursday morning, nearly 183 million Americans (55.2 percent of the total population) have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 158 million (47.7 percent) are fully vaccinated, according to theCDC.As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced on Thursday that the companies are developing a specially formulatedCOVID-19booster shot to fight against thehighly contagious Delta variant.
In astatement, the companies said the third dose of their existing COVID-19 would be helpful against the strain also known as B.1.617.2, however, Pfizer and BioNTech “are remaining vigilant and are developing an updated version of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that targets the full spike protein of the Delta variant.”
“The first batch of the mRNA for the trial has already been manufactured at BioNTech’s facility in Mainz, Germany,” the companies said, adding it is anticipated that “the clinical studies to begin in August, subject to regulatory approvals.”
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.Justin Tallis - Pool / Getty
The companies estimate that a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be needed 12 months after the first two doses.
News of the Delta variant’s dominance comes days after news that theJohnson & Johnson single-dose vaccinecan provideimmunity against COVID-19 for at least eight months, as well as protection against “other highly prevalent SARS-CoV-2 viral variants” of the virus.
The companyannounced on Thursdaythat during its trial, the vaccine generated a “strong neutralizing antibody response” to the widely spreading Delta variant, with 85 percent effectiveness.
The Johnson & Johnson study follows the lead of Moderna and Pfizer also announced that their vaccines areextremely effective against the Delta variant, preventing illness 90 percent of the time and hospitalization or severe illness 94 percent of the time.
RELATED VIDEO: Nurse Whose Husband Died of COVID Is on a Door-to-Door Vaccine Crusade: ‘I Can Help Save Others’
Thehighly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19thatspread rapidly in Indiais now in the U.S., worrying health experts with large portions of the country still unvaccinated.
The latest report fromthe Centers for Disease Controlestimated 51.7 percent of all new COVID-19 cases are the Delta variant.
The strain, which was first identified in India, has also taken hold in the U.K. and represents 90 percent of the country’s cases, NBC Newsreportedon Wednesday.
A pregnant woman receiving vaccination.Getty Images
“The Delta variant is spreading rapidly throughout the country. This week, the Delta variant is estimated to be the most prevalent variant in the United States, representing over 50 percent of sequenced samples across the country, up from 26 percent from the week ending June 19,” Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control, said during a White House COVID-19briefingon Thursday. “And in some parts of the country, the percentage is even higher. For example, in parts of the Midwest and Upper Mountain states, CDC’s early sequence data suggests the Delta variant accounts for approximately 80 percent of cases.”
She added, “Turning the corner on this pandemic, getting back to normal, and stopping the Delta variant requires all of us to do our part and to get vaccinated.”
As of Thursday morning, nearly 183 million Americans (55.2 percent of the total population) have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 158 million (47.7 percent) are fully vaccinated, according to theCDC.
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
