US scientists say vaccines may not work on South Africa coronavirus virus

 British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said earlier on Monday that he was incredibly concerned about the new version.

London: Scientists are not fully confident that the COVID-19 vaccine will work on a new version of the coronavirus found in South Africa, the ITV political editor said on Monday, citing an unnamed scientific adviser to the British government.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said earlier on Monday that he was incredibly concerned about the new version. Public Health England did not respond to phone calls requesting comment on the report.

"The reason for Matt Hancock's 'unwavering concern' about the South African Kovid-19 version, according to a scientific advisor to the government, is that they are not as confident that vaccines will be as effective against it as they are in the UK version." For, "said ITV's political editor Robert Peston.

Both Britain and South Africa have in recent months discovered new variants in coronoviruses that have increased case numbers.

Scientists say the new South African version differs from others roaming the country because it has many changes to the important "spike" protein that the virus uses to infect human cells.

It is also associated with a higher viral load, which means a higher concentration of virus particles in patients' bodies,

John Bell, a professor of medicine at the University of Oxford who sits on the government's vaccine taskforce, said Sunday that vaccines would work on the British version, but said there was a "big question mark" as to whether it would work on the South African version

He told Times Radio that if the vaccine did not work on the South African version the shots could be adapted and it would not take a year.

"It can take a month or six weeks to get a new vaccine," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by the Fast News staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)