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, the variant represents a clear threat to medically vulnerable groups.
Arguably the most chilling aspect is that XEC is a hybrid of two prior forms of the virus, a situation that can arise when someone is simultaneously infected with both. This genetic mash-up has the “potential to create a big jump” in the virus’s evolution, altering multiple characteristics all at once.
Adding to concerns, XEC carries a novel mutation not seen in its forerunners, stirring questions about the implications of this evolution on people’s health.
People are still urged to get their free NHS Covid vaccines if they’re eligible in order to best protect them in the colder months particularly as more doctors warn about the upcoming “tripledemic” as XEC’s rise coincides with flu season and RSV spikes.
