A new study from Public Health England found that the COVID-19 variant first discovered in the United Kingdom in December could be more resistant to vaccines due to a new mutation, The Hill reported Tuesday.
The COVID-19 strain known as B.1.1.7 has quickly spread across the UK and has now appeared in 72 countries, according to The Hill. It has reached 32 states in the U.S.
The CDC released a report stating it would likely become the dominant strain by March. It is much more contagious than other strains of the virus, and some evidence shows that it could be more lethal, The Hill reported. (RELATED: Health Minister Says South Africa COVID-19 Strain Could Be ‘More Transmissible’ Than UK Strain)
While existing vaccines are effective against the B.1.1.7 strain, a new mutation, known as E484K, has appeared and proven to cause vaccine-resistance, The Hill reported. (RELATED: First Known Case Of Brazilian Coronavirus Variant Strain Detected In US).
Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center investigational pharmacy technician Sara Berech is reflected in the glass of a fume hood as she prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for a clinical trial on December 15, 2020 in Aurora, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Johnson & Johnson and Novavax provided data showing that their vaccines are not as effective against strains with the new mutation, The Hill reported.