Scientists think vaccines will work on Brazil COVID variant: UK minister

FILE PHOTO: Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps walks outside the Cabinet Office in London, Britain September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s transport minister said scientists think that COVID-19 vaccines will work on a new variant of the coronavirus found in Brazil and a decision to ban flights from South America and Portugal was made over concerns it spreads faster.

“We had a look at this particular mutation, as opposed to many other thousands very carefully, saw there may be an issue, not so much that the vaccine won’t work, in fact scientists think it will work, but just the fact it is more spreadable,” Grant Shapps told the BBC.

Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by James Davey

source: reuters.com