The CoronaVac vaccine shows significantly reduced neutralizing activity against the Gamma variant (previously known as P.1) of SARS-CoV-2 — indicating that the variant may be able to escape immune response in fully vaccinated people as well as reinfect those who had recovered from COVID-19, according to an immunological study presented at ECCMID 2021.
“Neutralizing antibodies are an important component of the immune response against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, the capacity of the P.1 variant to evade antibodies present in the plasma of CoronaVac-immunized individuals suggests that the virus can potentially circulate in vaccinated individuals — even in areas with high vaccination rates,” said principal investigator Dr Jose Luiz Proença-Módena from the University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
