Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines Found to Induce Robust T Cell Responses Against Variants

As vaccinations continue to ramp up worldwide in the fight against COVID-19 amidst uncertainties over variants of concern, early data from a lab study shows that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are effective against some of the variants.

In a small study conducted by researchers from the University of California and the Gladstone Institute of Virology in San Francisco, it was found that both vaccines elicited immune responses, particularly robust T cell responses, against the UK B.1.117 and South African B.1.351 variants.