XEC variant 'might escape Covid vaccine defences'

The swift emergence of the new Covid variant XEC, which experts worry may outmanoeuvre current vaccines, has sparked concern as it gears up to become the dominant strain this winter. The variant, born from two previous mutations, raises questions about the effectiveness of existing jabs developed for XEC's predecessors like omicron. Yale Medicine 's Dr Scott Roberts, MD, an infectious diseases expert, highlighted the challenge, explaining it’s "impossible to guarantee" that vaccines will entirely match up with a fast-evolving virus like coronavirus .

Currently, Pfizer and Moderna offer mRNA vaccines tailored for the KP.2 variant which was quite prominent in spring, while Novavax's current vaccine targets the older JN. 1 strain.

Dr Roberts suggests a mix-and-match approach could fortify defences against XEC, given the vaccines were designed to anticipate such Omicron offshoots. He remains hopeful, adding: "Although this new variant might diminish the immunity the vaccines provide by a little bit, I'm optimistic that we're still going to have some degree of protection." His optimism is buoyed by last year's vaccines that remained effective despite new mutations, ensuring sustained immunity against the changes.

XEC, according to Yale experts, is a new, highly transmissible Covid subvariant that first emerged in Germany and has since fanned out across Europe before landing on US territory. While there's no solid evidence yet that indicates it's more severe than past strains, th.