The Oxford jab is less protective against the South African variant – but that's no disaster
The vaccine is still a vital weapon against Covid-19, even if it doesn't stop mild cases caused by the new variant
The news that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is less protective against the South African variant of Covid-19 has caused a lot of concern. But before we start worrying, we should first be clear about the details. While the current vaccine has less efficacy against the South African variant, it offers only slightly less protection when used on the variant first identified in Kent. And it is still thought to be likely that the vaccine will protect against serious disease caused by the South African variant.
This is an important detail. The current death toll in the UK is frighteningly high. Thousands of people are in hospital being treated for Covid-19, and many more are dying at home. Our first priority is to ease the death toll and the number of hospital admissions, which are overwhelming the NHS. If the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is still effective at preventing serious disease caused by the South African variant, then it should help with both of these things. A vaccine that prevents serious illness is more than adequate for the time being to get the pandemic under control.
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