I never knew there were DTaP AND Tdap vaccines. I looked it up, and
<<What is the difference between DTaP and Tdap vaccines?
Both DTaP and Tdap protect against the same diseases but are used in different age groups.
Babies and children under age 7 will always get DTaP. Children over age 7 and adults will always get the Tdap vaccine.
The DTaP vaccine contains full-strength doses of all three vaccines. The Tdap vaccine provides a full-strength dose of tetanus vaccine and smaller doses of diphtheria and whooping cough to maintain immunity.>>
Here is a preprint (not yet peer reviewed) paper with a comparison of neutralization of variants of COVID-19 by a small number (8 people, age 47-91 years) of J&J - Janssen vaccinated peopleās antibodies. The authors are employed by J&J - Janssen.
Compared to B.1, neutralization was reduced the most against B.1.351 / Beta, followed by P.1 / Gamma. Neutralization was reduced to a lesser degree against B.1.617.2 / Delta and not reduced at all against B.1.1.7 / Alpha.
Note that this vaccineās trials were done in places that included places where the B.1.351 and P.1 variants were circulating.
This paper also has a handy chart showing what mutations in the spike protein there are in each of several variants.
Basically, they checked whether antibodies in a small number of vaccinated (with J&J - Janssen vaccine) people were effective at neutralizing variants. In terms of neutralization:
B.1.617.2 (Delta) is the current variant of concern that is rapidly spreading, replacing B.1.1.7 (Alpha). P.1 (Gamma) and B.1.351 (Beta) were circulating in areas where the J&J - Janssen vaccine was trialed. B.1 was an early variant (ancestral to other B.1.etc.) that was presumably what most vaccines were aimed at.
Probably at least as good as it was in the trials in places where the Beta and Gamma variants were circulating. A caution is that only 8 peopleās antibodies were tested, although the results were broadly consistent when comparing across the variants.
LIstening to Dr. Scott Gottleib today on CNBC (former head of FDA, current Pfizer and Illumina board member), Pfizer is pursuing two separate things. One is they will be starting a trial in August for a booster/shot that is specifically designed to work against Delta. Also, they are seeking approval for just a 3rd shot of the existing vaccine to act as a booster. But he spoke mostly of the idea of boosters being for people who were not only on the early side of getting the vaccine but the elderly in particular. It sounds like the breakthrough cases that are happening in places like Israel are primarily among the elderly (who donāt mount as robust of an immune response from the vaccines), were the first to get the shots, and are most susceptible. I did not get the impression they think boosters will be recommended for all this fall, but maybe more targeted towards nursing homes (patients there will be coming up on a year post-vaccine), etc. It is interesting to see how this might play outā¦how they might come up with an age cutoff or other way to recommend who should get a 3rd shot.
Makes sense. Based on what I am seeing and reading about in Israel, the Pfizer vax is providing a good deal of protection against Delta. There are more breakthrus than anticipated and people are getting sick, but not too sick. Hospitalizations are not way up. The people getting ill are older and there was one death of an 80 yo vaxxed person.
(As a side note, politics plays into what we are hearing as well. There is a fragile, new government and the opposition is claiming it is not doing enough against Covid. Among the first to demand boosters was the former PM. I am seeing a range of numbers about how effective the vax isānone is as high as 95%, maybe between 64 and 80. Meanwhile, people do not want to go back to restrictions. An indoor mask mandate went into effect two weeks ago and I was the only one in compliance for the first week. A lot of blame is being put on people coming into the country so the airport is being more tightly controlled again. )
It will be a ābig dealā if a variant shows up that can evade the vaccine or becomes very virulent.
The 1918 influenza virus that first circulated was a typical flu virus. Then it mutated. And millions died-and it affected the young and healthy more than anyone else.
