That is to say, there are things that we now know we don’t know.”In fact, much scientific research is based on investigating known unknowns. Although the overall effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccines already approved for use may be weakened a little, there is still strong evidence existing vaccines work well against the mutations that have emerged. And the good news is that is unlikely to involve the kind of large and lengthy medical trials needed to produce the original coronavirus vaccines. They caused more consternation because they had a mutation called E484K – a so-called “escape mutation”. An escape mutation is one that is able to evade neutralising antibodies, making vaccines less effective.

Source: The Irish Times February 08, 2021 06:00 UTC