While the B.1.617 variant is more contagious and may be outcompeting other variants elsewhere in the world, the U.S. should be able to beat it through continued vaccination. Some of these variant cases were identified in Americans who had not recently traveled, however - indicating that the B.1.617 variant is already spreading through U.S. communities. According to the CDC, the B.1.617 variant makes up an estimated 0.7 percent of cases in the U.S. as of April 24. But we now have good news: the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines already in use in the U.S. work well against this concerning variant. The NYU researchers found that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both neutralize spike proteins from B.1.617 and B.1.618.

Source: Daily Mail May 18, 2021 22:08 UTC