Coronavirus: Hong Kong researchers create algorithm to predict effectiveness of vaccines against variants with 95 per cent accuracy

Researchers from Chinese University of Hong Kong say it is world’s first bioinformatic platform predicting how well jabs protect against virus and its variants

Platform can showcase results faster than traditional methods, according to research team leader

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Researchers have developed a tool to predict the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines against variants. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:47pm, 14 Jul 2022Updated: 9:09pm, 14 Jul 2022

Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed an algorithm that can predict the effectiveness of vaccines against Covid-19 variants with an accuracy rate of 95 per cent.

The university said on Thursday that the tool was the world’s first bioinformatic platform that used computer and genomic information to determine how well vaccines protected against the virus and its strains.

Maggie Wang Hai-tian, one of the leaders of the research team behind the discovery, said the platform could showcase results faster than traditional methods.

“Using our bioinformatics platform … We can immediately have an estimate of vaccine effectiveness against current circulating viruses,” said Wang, an associate professor at the university.

An elderly resident receiving a Covid-19 vaccine shot at Peng Chau Sports Centre. Photo: Jelly Tse

Wang added that the tool could provide timely information on future and existing variants.