Around 100 cases off that variant have been identified in the UK The study, involving a trial of 2000 people, has not yet been reviewed by other experts.

Are medical editor Fergus Walsh, Reports now on the latest research on Duthie ongoing effort to combat emerging on future strains of the coronavirus, Snow and ice did not stop the vaccination drive in Ipswich today.

There is now a road, albeit a difficult one out of the pandemic.

But there's concern that current vaccines being used on thousands of centers across the UK might eventually lose some of their potency as Corona virus evolves.

The Oxford AstraZeneca job works well against the Kent variant, first seen in September and now dominant in the UK But a small study of 2000 young adults in South Africa suggests it gives minimal protection against mild and moderate disease caused by the variant there.

Even so, scientists in Oxford are confident it would still prevent serious co vid disease.

Maybe we won't be reducing the number of cases Aziz much, But we still won't be seeing that the deaths the hospitalizations on the severe disease.

And that's really important for health care systems.

Even if we're having mild and asymptomatic infections to prevent people from going into hospital with CO, Vered would have a major effect.

Corona virus is constantly mutating.

Most changes aren't toe worry.

Vaccines used the gene from the spike protein to train the immune system.

So if this code mutates, as it has in the variance from South Africa, Brazil and Kent, it may make the virus less visible.

Tau antibodies thankfully, T cells, another part of our immune system look like they can spot infection, meaning existing vaccines should protect against severe disease.

More than 100 cases off the South Africa variant have been found in the UK on house to house Testing in affected areas is underway in a bid to suppress it spread, but it's inevitable.

MAWR variants will emerge.

The Oxford team are creating prototype vaccines against several variants and say they'll be ready if needed.

By the autumn coronavirus immunization may become an annual event we see very much a probably an annual or a booster in the autumn, and then an annual in the way we do with flu vaccinations.

Where you look at what variant of virus is spreading around the world, you rapidly produce a variant of vaccine and then begin to vaccinating protect the nation.

The more Corona virus mutates, the less likely it is transmission can be stopped.

It means co bid will probably be a permanent threat.

But like other diseases mostly preventable by vaccination.

Fergus Walsh, B B C news Well, The latest government figures showed that there were 15,845 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24 hour period.

That means an average of 18,358 new cases per day.

In the last week, another 373 deaths were reported.

That's people who died within 28 days of a positive covert 19 test numbers do tend to be lower the weekend.

On average, in the past week, 901 deaths were announced every day.

The total number of UK deaths is now 112,465.

The latest on the vaccination program is that just under 550,000 people had a first dose of one of the three approved covert 19 vaccines in the latest 24 hour period.

On that takes the overall number of people who have had their first Jap to just over 12 million.

Well, more now from Fergus is with me here in the studio.

We've had another big number on the vaccination side of things, Fergus.

But how concerned should we be about this study into the South African variant on the Oxford vaccine?

Michelle.

New variants of coronavirus are going to emerge.

Aled The time It's what viruses do.

But coronavirus actually mutates much more slowly say than seasonal flu.

It's unclear how often we're going to need a booster dose.

It could be annually.

It could be every two years or even longer.

It's simply too early to tell, but it's straightforward.

To tweak thes vaccines, it would only need small clinical trials.

The current vaccines, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, both worked really well against the predominant strains here, especially after two doses now against the South African variant and maybe the Brazilian one there may be less likely to stop mild and asymptomatic disease, which is less good news for slowing the spread.

But the bottom line is vaccines are the best protection we have.

So if you get your invite, go for it.

The rollout has Bean a big success.

12 million people have had their first dose.

Half a million.

Their second.

Fergus.

Thank you very much.

Fergus Walsh, all medical editor.