Oxford University:

• Oxford vaccine effective against major B.1.1.7 'Kent' coronavirus strain circulating in U.K.
• Preprint of ongoing work to assess effectiveness of its vaccine shows vaccine has similar efficacy against B.1.1.7 'Kent' coronavirus strain.
• Researchers who developed ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine have found that it remains effective against one of new variants of disease.
• Data from trials of ChAdOx1 vaccine in U.K. indicate vaccine also protects against novel variant, B.1.1.7.
• Between Oct. 1-Jan. 14, researchers used swabs taken from volunteers with symptomatic & asymptomatic infection enrolled in phase 2/3 study.
• Vaccine researchers are already looking at ways to modify existing vaccines quickly and simply to protect against new variants.
• Working with AstraZeneca to optimize pipeline required for a strain change should one become necessary.
• Protection against symptomatic infection similar despite lower neutralizing antibody titres in vaccinated individuals against B.1.1.7 variant than 'Victoria' strain of virus.