(Photo: AFP/VNA)

Ms. Sarah Walters, AstraZeneca's leader in Austria, said that so far, indication that the existing AstraZeneca vaccine is less effective against the more infectious variant in South Africa are "too small to draw final conclusions".

She said AstraZeneca and Oxford University have begun modifications of the vaccine for the variant and expect the new vaccine to be ready by the end of the year, “should it be needed."