'Wake up call': Fauci alarmed over COVID shots' diminished results against mutated virus

White House COVID-19 adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday raised an alarm over the latest trial results from Janssen and Novavax, who said their vaccines proved to be less effective against the new variant of the virus. Fauci, while speaking during an NIH vaccine data discussion, said that it is a "wake up call" for everyone because the new variants will continue to evolve until it is blocked from replicating, which he suggested could only be achieved by vaccinating more people. 

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"It's really a wake-up call for us to be nimble and to be able to adjust as this virus will continue for certain to evolve and to mutate. The best way to prevent further evolution of a virus is to prevent it from replicating, and you do that by vaccinating people as quickly as you possibly can," Fauci said. 

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Vaccines less effective against South Africa strain

Janssen, which is owned by American firm Johnson & Johnson, published the trial results on Friday which showed that its vaccine is 66% effective against moderate and severe COVID-19 virus. However, Janssen added that the vaccine proved less effective against the new South African strain. Novavax, whose vaccine has proved to be 89% effective, also said that its vaccine was less effective against the South African variant. The new variant from South Africa has also been detected in the United States, which prompted Fauci to call for quick vaccination of people. 

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The new UK and South African variants reportedly spread faster than all other previous strains identified since the start of the pandemic. Scientists have noted that the new variant also contributes to higher viral loads in COVID-19 patients. The United States is the worst affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic as it has reported more than 25 million cases and over 4,33,000 deaths so far, more than any other nation in the world. 

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(Inputs, Image: AP)