British–Swedish pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, has claimed that its COVID-19 vaccine could provide limited protection against new South-Africa variant.
This was revealed by the company's Spokesperson who told CNN that the vaccine provides limited protection against mild disease in cases caused by the variant.
This was coming after the Financial Times had reported on Saturday that a study due to for release on Monday showed the vaccine does not appear to provide protection against mild and moderate disease caused by the virus variant.
However, the company said the vaccine provides "limited protection" against the variant, as it said research is ongoing.
"Oxford University and AstraZeneca have started adapting the vaccine against this variant and will advance rapidly through clinical development so that it is ready for Autumn delivery should it be needed," it said.
"In this small phase I/II trial, early data has shown limited efficacy against mild disease primarily due to the B.1.351 South African variant," the spokesperson wrote in a statement. "However, we have not been able to properly ascertain its effect against severe disease and hospitalisation given that subjects were predominantly young healthy adults".
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