One of the UK government’s top scientific advisers has warned that early signs the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is less effective at stopping mild and moderate cases of the South African coronavirus variant are a “worrying harbinger” for 2021.
Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust medical charity and a member of the government’s Sage advisory committee, told the Financial Times that this year was “very unpredictable” as new viral variants less susceptible to current control methods were likely to undermine efforts to contain the virus.
Signs of the reduced efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against the 501.V2 variant in a limited South Africa study have already caused the country to suspend rollout of the jab, pending more data.