Experts say vaccines crucial to getting ahead of COVID-19, variants Experts say vaccines crucial to getting ahead of COVID-19, variants 4 hours 1 minute 9 seconds ago Thursday, April 22 2021 Apr 22, 2021 April 22, 2021 10:17 PM April 22, 2021 in News - Local There have been ten reported cases of the UK variant in the Rio Grande Valley. Local medical experts like President and CEP of DHR Health's Institute for Research and Development, Dr. Sohail Rao, said the variants had shown a more significant impact on younger people. Last week the Food and Drug Administration rescinded its emergency use authorization for a monoclonal antibody due to the rise in virus variants and their resistance, meaning the treatment that worked on the original COVID-19 strain did not work on the mutations.