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SARS-CoV-2 Variants And Current Vaccines: “It’s Not All Or Nothing”

Equitable Access Key To Locking In Gains

 
• By Anju Ghangurde

Experts including renowned virologist Peter Piot, FDA’s Peter Marks and CEPI’s Richard Hatchett discussed multiple dimensions pertaining to coronavirus variants and existing vaccines at a recent conference, noting enhanced post-deployment surveillance is underway in the US. While there’s no need to panic for every variant that emerges, equitable access to vaccines is critical to ensure that gains made over last year are not undone, they said.

Coronavirus
Spread Of COVID-19 Variants Brings New Worries • Source: Shutterstock

Leading virologists were not entirely taken by surprise by the arrival of COVID-19 – in fact organizations like the Norway-headquartered Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) were set up for exactly such situations, one expert noted at a recent conference.

“We just didn't know when and what virus. I made one mistake. I always thought it would be some new...

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