The Pfizer-BioNTech <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine </a>is slightly less effective but still appears to offer protection against variant first detected in India, according to a study by France's Pasteur Institute.&nbsp;

"Despite slightly diminished efficacy, the Pfizer vaccine probably protects" against the strain first discovered in India, Olivier Schwartz, the institute's director and co-author of the study was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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However, the study published on the BioRxiv website is still to be peer-reviewed.&nbsp;

Twenty-eight healthcare workers in the city of Orleans were part of the study, out of which 16 received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, while 12 were given one dose of AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine.&nbsp;

There was a three-fold decrease in the number of antibodies of people who had taken the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the B.1.617 variant, but still, there was protection.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/world/european-regulator-approves-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-for-12-to15-year-olds-388097">European regulator approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12 to15-year old</a>

"The situation was different with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which induced particularly low levels of antibodies neutralising" the variant first found in India, the study noted.&nbsp;

Schwartz said that people who got infected with COVID-19 within the last one year and people vaccinated with two jabs of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have enough antibodies to counter the B.1.617 variant.&nbsp;

The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is slightly less effective but still appears to offer protection against variant first detected in India, according to a study by France's Pasteur Institute.

The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is slightly less effective but still appears to offer protection against variant first detected in India, according to a study by France's Pasteur Institute. "Despite slightly diminished efficacy, the Pfizer vaccine probably protects" against the strain first discovered in India, Olivier Schwartz, the institute's director and co-author of the study was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. Watch | However, the study published on the BioRxiv website is still to be peer-reviewed. Twenty-eight healthcare workers in the city of Orleans were part of the study, out of which 16 received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, while 12 were given one dose of AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine. There was a three-fold decrease in the number of antibodies of people who had taken the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the B.1.617 variant, but still, there was protection. Also read | European regulator approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12 to15-year old "The situation was different with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which induced particularly low levels of antibodies neutralising" the variant first found in India, the study noted. Schwartz said that people who got infected with COVID-19 within the last one year and people vaccinated with two jabs of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have enough antibodies to counter the B.1.617 variant.

Pfizer less effective, AstraZeneca even worse against variant first detected in India: Study

The&nbsp;World&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Organization said on Tuesday that a variant of Covid-19 feared to be contributing to a surge in coronavirus cases in India has been found in over a dozen countries.

The UN&nbsp;health&nbsp;agency said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19 first found in India had as of Tuesday been detected in over 1,200 sequences uploaded to the GISAID open-access database "from at least 17 countries".&nbsp;

"Most sequences were uploaded from India, the United Kingdom, USA, and Singapore," the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic.

The WHO recently listed B.1.617,&nbsp;which counts several sub-lineages with slightly different mutations and characteristics, as a "variant of interest".

But so far it has stopped short of declaring it a "variant of concern".

That label would indicate that it is more dangerous that the original version of the virus by for instance being more transmissible, deadly or able to dodge vaccine protections.

India is facing surging new cases and deaths in the pandemic, and fears are rising that the variant could be contributing to the unfolding catastrophe.

The explosion in infections in India, 350,000 new cases were recorded there on Tuesday alone -- has driven a surge in global cases to 147.7 million.

The virus has now killed more than 3.1 million people worldwide.

The WHO acknowledged that its preliminary modelling based on sequences submitted to GISAID indicates "that B.1.617 has a higher growth rate than other circulating variants in India, suggesting potential increased transmissibility".

It stressed that other variants circulating at the same time were also showing increased transmissibility, and that the combination "may be playing a role in the current resurgence in this country."

"Indeed, studies have highlighted that the spread of the second wave has been much faster than the first," the WHO said.

It highlighted though that "other drivers" could be contributing to the surge, including lax adherence to public&nbsp;health&nbsp;measures as well as mass gatherings.

"Further investigation is needed to understand the relative contribution of these factors," it said.

The UN agency also stressed that "further robust studies" into the characteristics of B.1.617 and other variants, including impacts on transmissibility, severity and the risk of reinfection, were "urgently needed".&nbsp;

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that a variant of Covid-19 feared to be contributing to a surge in coronavirus cases in India has been found in over a dozen countries.

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that a variant of Covid-19 feared to be contributing to a surge in coronavirus cases in India has been found in over a dozen countries. The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19 first found in India had as of Tuesday been detected in over 1,200 sequences uploaded to the GISAID open-access database "from at least 17 countries". "Most sequences were uploaded from India, the United Kingdom, USA, and Singapore," the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic. The WHO recently listed B.1.617, which counts several sub-lineages with slightly different mutations and characteristics, as a "variant of interest". But so far it has stopped short of declaring it a "variant of concern". That label would indicate that it is more dangerous that the original version of the virus by for instance being more transmissible, deadly or able to dodge vaccine protections. India is facing surging new cases and deaths in the pandemic, and fears are rising that the variant could be contributing to the unfolding catastrophe. The explosion in infections in India, 350,000 new cases were recorded there on Tuesday alone -- has driven a surge in global cases to 147.7 million. The virus has now killed more than 3.1 million people worldwide. The WHO acknowledged that its preliminary modelling based on sequences submitted to GISAID indicates "that B.1.617 has a higher growth rate than other circulating variants in India, suggesting potential increased transmissibility". It stressed that other variants circulating at the same time were also showing increased transmissibility, and that the combination "may be playing a role in the current resurgence in this country." "Indeed, studies have highlighted that the spread of the second wave has been much faster than the first," the WHO said. It highlighted though that "other drivers" could be contributing to the surge, including lax adherence to public health measures as well as mass gatherings. "Further investigation is needed to understand the relative contribution of these factors," it said. The UN agency also stressed that "further robust studies" into the characteristics of B.1.617 and other variants, including impacts on transmissibility, severity and the risk of reinfection, were "urgently needed".

Covid virus strain first detected in India found in at least 17 countries: WHO

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Pfizer less effective, AstraZeneca even worse against variant first detected in India: Study

Covid virus strain first detected in India found in at least 17 countries: WHO