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Coronavirus: quest for mutant-quelling vaccines begins as multiple new variants run rampant
- The coronavirus has undergone several major mutations, pushing scientists to target multiple versions of the pathogen in a single shot
- Pfizer and Moderna have said they’re starting work on developing booster shots or other efforts to bolster their vaccines
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Just weeks into the roll-out of vaccines to combat Covid-19, researchers are shifting their focus to a new class of potential shots to take on the threat posed by fast-spreading mutations.
Dangerous coronavirus variants identified in Africa, Europe and South America are carpeting the globe, pushing scientists in the UK and elsewhere to target multiple versions of the pathogen in a single shot and perhaps head off more lethal foes that may emerge.
A variant that arose in South Africa has already shown itself capable of partially evading defences raised by several vaccines. The country paused rolling out a shot from AstraZeneca because it offered minimal protection against mild to moderate illness cause by the mutant, called B. 1.351. With a spreading virus comes an increased risk of more alarming mutations.
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“We cannot be complacent that we’ve got the vaccines we need and it’s just a matter of time to ending the pandemic – it’s not,” said Richard Hatchett, chief executive officer of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which has worked to accelerate development of Covid-19 inoculations. “We’re in a race with the virus and we’ve got to get ahead of it.”
Britain snapped up huge Covid-19 vaccine supplies early and became the first Western country to approve a shot. Now it’s seeking to catch up with the outbreak and sustain its momentum in the next phase of the crisis, a difficult task as the virus runs rampant.
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