As Singapore and many countries around the world ramp up mass Covid-19 vaccinations, a different race has begun.

Some major pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer and Moderna, have begun working on booster shots to protect against Covid-19 variants.

These include the UK strain (B117), the Brazil strain, as well as the South African strain (B1351).

Staying a step ahead

The B117 strain is reportedly more contagious, and is up to 70 per cent more transmissible, which is relatively significant.

While the bulk of the spread has been in the UK, the strain has also been detected in Australia, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Singapore has reported four confirmed cases of the B117 strain so far.

There have been no reports of the Brazil or the South African strain in Singapore yet.

"Laying the groundwork"

According to Reuters, Pfizer confirmed in an email that they are in the midst of evaluating the steps needed to formulate the booster shot.

"We are already laying the groundwork to respond quickly if a variant of SARS-CoV-2 shows evidence of escaping immunity by our vaccine.”

Like for its current vaccine, additional studies will be needed to determine if it's in agreement with regulators, before it can be approved for use.

CNA also reported earlier this week that Moderna had confirmed its Covid-19 vaccine could protect against coronavirus variants from the UK and South Africa.

Moderna begun pre-clinical studies on their booster specifically for the South African variant, after tests indicated the vaccine may produce a diminished antibody response.

Top image via Pfizer