A variant of coronavirus that has been reported in the United Kingdom is not expected to impact the efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told “The Story” Tuesday.

“We have seen many different what one might call ‘strains’ of COVID-19,” Azar told host Martha MacCallum. “But here’s what is really important for viewers to know as we now have these vaccines coming, these vaccines don’t appear to be impacted by some of these modifications.”

British officials confirmed Monday that a “new variant” of COVID-19 had been discovered after infecting close to 1,000 people in the south of England.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it remains unclear whether the variant makes the virus more serious, transmissible, or interferes with diagnostics or vaccine effectiveness. But Azar said the U.S. vaccines appear to be “spot-on target with the different strains.”

OFFICIALS ASSESSING NEW UK CORONAVIRUS STRAIN: WHO

“Viruses do change all the time,” he told MacCallum. “What is great about …continued .
[Source: Fox News]