COVID-19 VARIANTS

• This variant is currently protected by FDA-approved or authorized vaccines. Some new infections are to be expected, but they are still uncommon.

• Most variants cause similar COVID-19 symptoms

• All tests work for all variants, but they will not tell you which variant you have.

A. Alpha - B.1.1.7 First identified: United Kingdom

• • • Spread: Much faster than other variants

    • Severe illness and death: May potentially cause more people to get sicker and to die

    • Vaccine: Currently, FDA-approved or authorized vaccines are effective against this variant. Breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people are expected, but they are still uncommon.

    • Treatments: Treatments are effective against this variant.

B. Beta - B.1.351 First identified: South Africa

• Spread: May spread faster than other variant

• Severe illness and death: Current data do not indicate more severe illness or death than other variants

• Vaccine: Currently, FDA-approved or authorized vaccines are effective against this variant. Some new infections are expected, but they are extremely rare. All vaccines are especially effective against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

• Treatments: Certain monoclonal antibody treatments are less effective against this variant.

c. Gamma - P.1 First identified: Japan/Brazil

• Spread: Faster than other variants

• Severe illness and death: Current data do not indicate more severe illness or death than other variants

• Vaccine: This variant is currently protected by FDA-approved or authorized vaccines. Some new infections are to be expected, but they are still uncommon. All vaccines are especially effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death.

• Treatments: Certain monoclonal antibody treatments are less effective against this variant.

D. Delta - B.1.617.2 First identified: India

• Spread: Much faster than other variants

• Severe illness and death: It is possible that this variant will cause more severe cases than the other variants.

• Vaccine: Even with the Delta variant, infections occur in only a small percentage of people who are fully vaccinated. Some new infections are expected, but they are still uncommon. However, preliminary evidence suggests that people who have been fully vaccinated and become infected with the Delta variant can spread the virus to others.

Treatments: Certain monoclonal antibody treatments are less effective against this variant.

VACCINES

Pfizer-BioTech

• In August 2021, Pfizer-BioNTech became the first Covid-19 Vaccine to receive full approval for people ages 16 and older from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the U.S. In December, it was the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) after the company reported positive initial clinical trial data that showed the vaccine was highly effective at preventing symptomatic disease. This is a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, which uses relatively new technology.

• Dosage: Two shots, 21 days apart; fully effective two weeks after the second shot.

• Vaccine Efficiency: 96% against asymptomatic COVID-19 100% against symptomatic COVID-19

• UPDATES ON PFIZER:

The Food and Drug Administration released an analysis by Pfizer on the need for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer says data from Israel and the United States in the context of the delta variant suggests "that vaccine protection against COVID-19 infection wanes approximately 6 to 8 months following the second dose. "In mid-September, an FDA advisory committee recommended booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people ages 65 or older—or those at high risk of severe COVID-19, at least six months after they received their second shot.

MODERNA

• Was authorized for emergency use in the U.S. last December, about a week after the Pfizer vaccine. Moderna uses the same mRNA technology as Pfizer and has a similarly high efficacy at preventing symptomatic disease. It also needs to be stored in freezer-level temperatures.

• Dosage: Two shots, 28 days apart; fully effective two weeks after the second dose.

• Vaccine Efficiency: 94.1% against symptomatic COVID-19. 100% against severe COVID-19

• UPDATES ON MODERNA

Moderna’s vaccine may provide protection against the Alpha and Beta variants. In June, Moderna analysis that studies showed its vaccine is effective against the Beta, Delta, Eta, and Kappa variants, although it did show it to be about two times weaker against Delta than against the original virus.

Johnson & Johnson/ Janssen

• The FDA granted emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine in February 2021. Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, this is a carrier, or virus vector, vaccine. It can be stored in normal refrigerator temperatures, and because it requires only a single shot, it is easier to distribute and administer. (In November of 2020, Johnson & Johnson announced it would launch a second Phase 3 clinical trial to study using two doses, two months apart.

• Dosage: Single shot. Fully effective two weeks after vaccination.

• Vaccine Efficiency: 66.1 -66.9% against confirmed moderate to severe/critical COVID-19. 77%-85% against severe COVID-19

• Why is the j and j vaccine only one dose? - The J&J vaccine went into Phase III trials as a one-dose vaccine because earlier phase trials had shown strong immune responses after just one dose.

Oxford-AstraZeneca

• This vaccine, which is currently being distributed in the United Kingdom and other countries, is distinguished from some of its competitors by its lower cost—it’s cheaper to make per dose, and while some of the other vaccines must be stored frozen

• Dosage: Two doses, four to 12 weeks apart

• Vaccine Efficacy: 70.4% against symptomatic COVID-19. 100% against severe COVID-19

sINOVAC

• Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine is a Covid-19 Vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech It was Phase III clinical trialed in Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, Philippines, and Turkey.

• Dosage: 2 doses, given 28 days after the first dose.

• Vaccine Efficacy: 51% overall against symptomatic COVID-19, 100% against severe covid-19 and hospitalization

• UPDATE ON SINOVAC:

A booster dose of Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine reversed a decline in antibody activities against the Delta variant, a study showed, easing some concerns about its longer-term immune response to the highly contagious strain of the virus. Several countries which have relied heavily on the Sinovac vaccine have begun giving booster shots developed by Western manufacturers to people fully vaccinated with the Chinese shot.

Gamalaya Sputnik V

• The Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) is an two-part vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Initially produced in Russia, Sputnik V uses a weakened virus to deliver small parts of a pathogen and stimulate an immune response.

• Dosage: 2 doses, 3 weeks apart

• Vaccine Efficacy: 91.6% against symptomatic covid-19. 100% against severe covid-19 and hospitalization.