PRETORIA - South Africa has suspended its rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after research suggested it offers limited protection against mild and moderate cases of disease caused by the coronavirus variant discovered there.
People can have confidence in the Covid vaccine despite evidence that it is less effective against the South Africa variant of coronavirus, British vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi says today. It follows findings that show the Oxford University-AstraZeneca jab does not protect against mild and moderate infection of the South African strain.
A new Oxford vaccine that can beat the South African mutation is likely to be ready by autumn - raising the prospect of booster doses later this year.
More than 12 million people in Britain have now received their first dose of the vaccine, with almost 1,000 jabs per hour administered at one point this weekend.
