Coronavirus scientists haven t seen any hint that existing variants can fully evade vaccines, one of No10 s top advisers claimed today.
Professor Sharon Peacock, head of the Covid Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK), warned the coronavirus could mutate over time to become better at beating jab-triggered immunity.
But she claimed no variant of major concern has yet emerged, despite fears mutant strains from South Africa, Brazil and India could make the current crop of vaccines weaker. She said more work is needed to determine the risks the strains pose.
Professor Peacock, a University of Cambridge microbiologist, also told Times Radio that the coronavirus could eventually become as harmless as the common cold but said that process could take decades.
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