COVID-19 Variants are Spreading Regionally, but Vaccine Producers are Ready

A race is now on between state vaccination efforts and the COVID-19 variants making their way across North Central Washington.

Chelan-Douglas Health District Administrator Luke Davies said about 35% of the cases in our area are the B117, or UK, variant while 25-30% are the California variants.

A very limited study out of Israel suggested the South African variant is seeing a higher-than-normal rate of breakthrough vs the Pfizer vaccine. Davies mentioned that some breakthrough is expected, but it will be important for the CDC and Department of Health to look at the data and make any necessary recommendations.

Variants, at a point, do begin to compete with each other. Right now the state is forecasting the B117 variant, which is thought to be the most transmissible, will become the most dominant. If that becomes the case, Davies said our vaccines have proven they will work against it.

In the case a variant does prove resistant to the current vaccines, Davies stated that, with the Moderna and Pfizer messenger RNA technology, the rapid development of boosters is possible.

"Just as an example, within about 48 hours to one week of the genome sequence for the wild-type Wuhan virus, Moderan and Pfizer both had viable vaccines that they were able to start launching into development." explained Davies.

Davies added that we should be encouraged by the fact that we have the tools to fight viruses and other diseases much sooner than at any other point in history.