Before you read headlines along the lines of “the mRNA vaccines don’t work against variants in the real world OMG WE ARE DOOMED!” read this thoughtful thread by an author of the study: https://twitter.com/sternlab/status/1380922920734711811

Partial vaccination didn’t protect as well against B.1.1.7 (UK) or B.1.351 (South Africa). In fully vaccinated people, this was enriched for B.1.351, suggesting that full vaccination protects well against B.1.1.7 but less so against B.1.351.

This is consistent with 2 observations that have been made for months:

-1 dose of mRNA vaccine is insufficient. Delayed 2nd dose leaves a longer interval of reduced protection.

-the B.1.351 variant can *partially* evade immunity & is more likely to cause breakthrough infection

But on the second point (immune evasion) bear in mind: there was no evidence of spread downstream, suggesting that these breakthrough infections are a dead end. B.1.351 isn’t spreading like wildfire through the vaccinated population. It’s causing one offs and sputtering out.

Vaccinated people are also still protected against severe disease and death. Breakthrough infections are expected. They happen with every vaccine. No vaccine is 100% effective.

But these vaccines are extremely effective at keeping people out of the hospital and the morgue.

So the take home message here is: the vaccines are working, even against variants that we’ve known for a while have a few tricks for getting around them. Partial immune evasion is just that—partial. The vaccines still work.

Get vaccinated as soon as you get can. Get your second dose as close to the recommended interval as you can. In the meantime, take precautions (mask, distance, etc). And after vaccination continue to take precautions around unvaccinated people.

Vaccines (still) work.