COVID-19 vaccines effective against new strain of virus, says German Minister

European Union (EU) experts believe that existing COVID-19 vaccine candidates against vel coronavirus are also effective against new strain that is rapidly spreing across Uk except rrn Ireland. German Health Minister Jens Spahn told public brocaster ZDF that based on kwledge authorities have so far about variant, new strain “has impact on vaccines” because y remain “just as effective”. 

Spahn me claim citing “talks among experts of European authorities” while referring to COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech that is alrey being ministered in several countries including United States and UK. Pfizer’s vaccine is also set to receive approval from European Medicines ncy. As new strain continues to spre in UK, EU health ministry spokesperson reportedly said that union’s experts held a meeting on December 20.

Meanwhile, World Health Organisation (WHO) h said that it is aware of new variant of COVID-19 but ted that re is still evidence of pathogen behaving any differently from existing s of virus that have rocked world since beginning of 2020. Last week, WHO Emergencies Director Dr Mike Ryan h said in a Geneva news conference that authorities are still looking at significance of strain discovery and ded, “We have seen many variants, this virus evolves and changes over time.”

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How fast is new strain spreing?

new strain of COVID-19 is reportedly replacing or versions of virus in UK. Even though it is a well-kwn fact among experts that pathogens mutate as y continue to spre, as per reports, re are some parts of new coronavirus variant that are likely to be important. 

Some of mutations have alrey been shown in lab to enhance ability of virus to infect cells in host’s body. se new factors can sum up for virus to spre more easily among people even as global infections as per Johns Hopkins University tally have surpassed 76 million with over 1.6 million deaths. 

new strain, which can be new worry for medical professionals, was reportedly first discovered in September. This was followed by a quarter of cases in London by vember and by mid-December, it has reached to two-thirds of cases. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson h also said that variant may be up to 70% more transmissible. Except for rrn Ireland, new COVID-19 strain can be found across UK.

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