"Pfizer vaccine, effective against mutation"... Astra to be approved by WHO this month

<Anchor> As the

mutant virus spreads around the world, there are high concerns about whether the currently available vaccine will be effective for the mutant virus.

Studies show that the Pfizer vaccine now being vaccinated is also effective against the UK mutant virus.

This is Han Se-hyun.

<Reporter>

Yesterday (20th), 1,820 people died in the UK in one day.

It is the highest in history, up by 200 people from 1,610 people yesterday.

After the third blockade, the number of new confirmed cases is declining, but the death toll continues to increase rapidly.

Amid the rapid spread of the UK mutant virus to more than 60 countries around the world, the Bioentech team found that antibodies in the blood of 16 Pfizer vaccine recipients had neutralized the mutant virus.

Pfizer previously said earlier this month that its vaccine is effective against mutant viruses found in the UK and South Africa.

[Dr. Phillip/Pfizer Senior Researcher: What we found was one important mutation, and the vaccine worked, whether or not the mutation occurred.

It is a very reassuring discovery.]

Amidst this, AstraZeneca's vaccine, which Korea is promoting, is expected to be approved by the World Health Organization and WHO as early as this month.

Reuters predicted that the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute in India will be approved by WHO as early as this month, and the vaccine produced by SK Bioscience in Korea will be approved by the WHO at the end of next month.

Along with this, Moderna is expected to get approval in February for Johnson & Johnson in May or June, and for vaccines from Chinese pharmaceutical companies Sinoparm and Sinobac in March.