Vaccines 'Almost Certainly Less Effective' Against India's COVID Variant, Says Top UK Scientist
Vaccines being administered to protect against COVID-19 are almost certainly less effective against preventing the transmission of the B16172 variant first identified in India says a leading UK scientist. Professor Anthony Harnden from the University of Oxford said it was important to approach the easing of lockdown in England with utmost caution as it remains unclear exactly how much more transmissible the variant detected in India is.
The vaccines being administered to protect against COVID-19 are "almost certainly less effective" against preventing the transmission of the B1.617.2 variant first identified in India, says a leading UK scientist who advises the country's vaccination programme.
Professor Anthony Harnden, from the University of Oxford who is the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said it was important to approach the easing of lockdown in England with "utmost caution" as it remains unclear exactly how much more transmissible the variant detected in India is.
Agencies
But he reiterated that there is no evidence so far of increased severity of illness or that the particular mutation of the coronavirus evades the vaccine.
Vaccines less effective against transmission
"The vaccines may be less effective against mild disease but we don't think they're less effective against severe disease. But in combination with being less effective against mild disease, vaccines are almost certainly less effective against transmission," Prof. Harnden told the BBC.
"We don't know how much more transmissible it is yet. All the evidence so far suggests there is no evidence of increased severity of illness or that it evades the vaccine. So, at the moment, on the basis of the evidence we are doing the right thing, coolly, calmly continuing with Monday, but keeping everything under review," he said, in reference to the next stage in the easing of lockdown that begins in England from Monday.
His comments follow UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Downing Street press conference on Friday evening, when he focussed on the "important unknowns" related to the B1.617.2 variant, which is believed to be largely behind India's devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Reuters
"We believe this variant is more transmissible than the previous one - in other words it passes more easily from person to person - but we don't know by how much," said Johnson.
Under the UK's action plan laid out to tackle the B1.617.2 variant of concern (VOC) first identified in India, all over-50s and the most vulnerable groups are to be offered their second Covid-19 vaccine dose earlier than scheduled.
Appointments for a second dose of a vaccine will be brought forward from 12 to eight weeks for these groups.
