Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine appeared to lose only a small bit of effectiveness against an engineered virus with three key mutations from the new coronavirus variant found in South Africa, according to a laboratory study conducted by the U.S. drugmaker.
Immunity from Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine should last at least a year, the company said at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference.
Evidence continues to build for long-lasting immunity to Covid-19 following disease infection, with the publication of a new study showing a durable immune response as far as eight months after the initial onset of symptoms.
Leading U.S. infectious disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci said he foresees America achieving enough collective Covid-19 immunity through vaccinations to regain “some semblance of normality” by autumn 2021, despite early setbacks in the vaccine rollout.
