The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine appears to be highly effective against the more contagious coronavirus variant discovered in Brazil, scientists from the two companies and the University of Texas Medical Branch reported in a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings came as public health experts warned that highly transmissible variants could drive a new surge in infections as more states lift restrictions intended to fight the pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus can safely gather in small groups without masks or social distancing, but urged those who have been fully vaccinated to continue to wear masks and take other precautions when in public or when meeting with unvaccinated people.