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| UK in talks with AstraZeneca for modified Covid-19 vaccine to tackle South African variant – British Health Secretary | UK in talks with AstraZeneca for modified Covid-19 vaccine to tackle South African variant – British Health Secretary |
| (3 months later) | |
| The UK government is in talks with AstraZeneca over securing doses of its modified Covid-19 vaccine to target a variant of the virus first found in South Africa, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed. | The UK government is in talks with AstraZeneca over securing doses of its modified Covid-19 vaccine to target a variant of the virus first found in South Africa, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed. |
| The British government previously ordered some 100 million doses of the Anglo-Swedish jab, which was developed in partnership with the University of Oxford. | The British government previously ordered some 100 million doses of the Anglo-Swedish jab, which was developed in partnership with the University of Oxford. |
| In a speech at the university’s Jenner Institute on Wednesday, Hancock said the government was now looking at procuring new vaccines that specifically target variants of concern. | In a speech at the university’s Jenner Institute on Wednesday, Hancock said the government was now looking at procuring new vaccines that specifically target variants of concern. |
| “I can tell you today that we have started commercial negotiations with AstraZeneca to secure a variant vaccine – future supplies of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine that have been adapted to tackle the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa,” he said. | “I can tell you today that we have started commercial negotiations with AstraZeneca to secure a variant vaccine – future supplies of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine that have been adapted to tackle the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa,” he said. |
| In December last year, South African health officials announced they had detected the B.1.351 variant, which was recently renamed ‘Beta’ by the World Health Organization to remove stigma around its name. | In December last year, South African health officials announced they had detected the B.1.351 variant, which was recently renamed ‘Beta’ by the World Health Organization to remove stigma around its name. |
| The variant spread rapidly to become the dominant strain of the virus across the country before being detected in more than 20 other nations. Scientists found that a mutation called N501Y in the variant’s spike protein makes it more transmissible. | The variant spread rapidly to become the dominant strain of the virus across the country before being detected in more than 20 other nations. Scientists found that a mutation called N501Y in the variant’s spike protein makes it more transmissible. |
| Another mutation known as E484K also means the variant can more easily evade a person’s immune system and makes the virus potentially more resistant to the effects of vaccines. | Another mutation known as E484K also means the variant can more easily evade a person’s immune system and makes the virus potentially more resistant to the effects of vaccines. |
| In February, the South African government announced it was halting its scheduled rollout of AstraZeneca’s vaccine after a local study of 2,000 people found the jab was less than 25% effective against the virus. The country had received 1 million doses of the vaccine and had planned to start vaccinating health workers. | In February, the South African government announced it was halting its scheduled rollout of AstraZeneca’s vaccine after a local study of 2,000 people found the jab was less than 25% effective against the virus. The country had received 1 million doses of the vaccine and had planned to start vaccinating health workers. |
| Another trial of 750 people published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March found AstraZeneca’s vaccine to be only 10.4% effective against mild to moderate infections caused by B.1.351. | Another trial of 750 people published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March found AstraZeneca’s vaccine to be only 10.4% effective against mild to moderate infections caused by B.1.351. |
| South Africa has since sold its 1 million AstraZeneca doses to other members of the African Union group of countries. | South Africa has since sold its 1 million AstraZeneca doses to other members of the African Union group of countries. |
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