Study shows CureVac vaccine is 100% effective against death from COVID

The German CureVac vaccine has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing hospitalization or death from any COVID-19 variant.

Results show that the vaccine provided 77% protection against moderate and severe forms of the disease in people aged between 18 and 60.

It was also found that most infections came from variant strains and only a minimal proportion from the original strain.

Dr. Michel Martínez, head of the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit at TecSalud, spoke about the results from the Phase 3 trials of the CureVac vaccine.

The specialist explained that, while the general efficacy –in the sense of avoiding any symptomatic form– is 48.2%, this percentage increases significantly for cases with strong symptoms.

He added that the results shared by the laboratory show that the efficacy of the vaccine depends on the age group and the region where volunteers are located.

On February 17 of this year, TecSalud announced its participation in the Phase 3 trials –authorized by the Federal Commission for Protection Against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris)– of CureVac, a messenger RNA vaccine.

In total, Mexico contributed more than 20% of the 40,000 volunteers recruited from 15 countries.

Call for volunteers to remain in the study

The recommendation from TecSalud for volunteers aged over 60 was to obtain access to a vaccine in the National Vaccination Plan.

“TecSalud has been liaising at municipal, state, and federal levels for patients to access this program. More than 90% of them have already received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by Cofepris,” said Martínez.

He added that their priority has been the volunteers registered since the CureVac research protocol began.

“From the very beginning, we’ve provided timely follow-up to each of the people who participated in the trial,” he said.

However, active participants, mainly from the group of volunteers aged 18-60, were asked to continue in the study.

“We had previously thought that the vaccine against COVID-19 could be given every two years, but perhaps the data obtained will mean we have to get the vaccine annually.”

COVID-19 variants

The study was carried out long after the tests undertaken on the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, which also use messenger RNA, and which took place during a period of high circulation of the original SARS-CoV-2 strain.

“It is striking that in our study, only 3% of the cases reported as COVID-19 belong to the original strain; the rest come from variants,” Martinez explained.

So, according to this expert, if the efficacy of the other vaccines were tested now, they would likely have a similar efficacy to CureVac.

“A total of 29 variants have been detected. There are a lot of variants, and the greatest diversity is in Latin America. In Europe, for example, the Alpha variant, the UK one, predominates,” explained Martínez.

This study is very important for designing strategies to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has been shown to have mutated many times.

This is similar to the influenza virus, for which we need a new vaccine every year as a result of its variations.

The flu vaccine’s efficacy varies from year to year. Martínez explained that studies show it ranges between 40% and 90%.

“Previously, we had thought that the vaccine against COVID-19 could be given every two years, but perhaps the data obtained will mean we have to vaccinate annually,” said the head of TecSalud’s Epidemiological Surveillance Unit.

The effects of this can be easily seen in countries like Israel, where the population is 100% vaccinated, but also where an increase in COVID-19 cases has already begun because of new variants not considered by the initial vaccine.

Martínez had the following to say about CureVac, whose efficacy trials are due to finish in February 2022:

“We’re looking at a vaccine that can put up a fight, above all against variants.”

READ MORE: