by Ole Ho Christiansen
The South African strain of the coronavirus is more contagious and appears to make the vaccine less effective. There are currently 141 confirmed cases along with 61 probable cases in the UK, according to Public Health England.
The government has taken measures to counter the spread of this strain. On 24 December, a travel ban was imposed on South Africa. This has now been extended to nine other southern African countries. Despite that, new cases are showing up around the country. Recently, cases were found in Middlesbrough, causing the local council to urge anyone over the age of 16 to be tested.
As the current AstraZeneca-University of Oxford jab has shown limited effectiveness against the South African strain, officially B.1.351, some people are concerned and consider waiting for a new and more effective vaccine.
“I would consider waiting for a more effective vaccine which would be effective against more contagious strains” says Gabriel Morrissey, student at Hartpury University, “If I was lined up for getting a shot sooner than that I’d still prefer to get a vaccine for the UK variant … some immunity would be better than none.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, commented on these concerns saying: “There is no reason to think the South African variant will catch up or overtake our current virus in the next few months …
“My advice to you is very simply: Do not delay, have the vaccine that will protect you against the current threat”. In addition to this, he said that people should remember that they can always be revaccinated, should it be necessary.
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