'No evidence' COVID mutations undercut vaccines

A prominent Chinese respiratory disease expert said on Tuesday that there is no evidence the coronavirus mutation found in the United Kingdom has any impact on the vaccines.

Zhong Nanshan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, made his remarks at the unveiling ceremony for the National Center of Respiratory Medicine at the First Hospital Affiliated with Guangzhou Medical University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday.

The mutated virus variation was found in the UK in September before vaccinations were developed; thus there is no evidence of any impact on the vaccines, Zhong said.

"The coronavirus is still spreading in Europe and some other foreign countries and regions, and China should continue making a great effort to speed up the research and development of a vaccine while taking effective and concrete measures to control and prevent imported COVID-19 cases in the months to come," he said.