Tests conducted by global pharmaceutical giant, Moderna,have found that its COVID-19 vaccine may work against the South African variant of the virus.
The variant, called 501Y.V2 has a high transmission rate and has led to increased number of cases in South Africa.
It has also spread to more than 20 countries of the world.
Although current vaccines were prepared against to work against the earlier strains, tests conducted have shown the Moderna vaccine also has an effect on the new strain.
The results are yet to be put under peer reviews with that expected to happen in the coming days.
The vaccine has also been found to be effective against the UK variant with a better efficaciousness, in comparison with the South African variant.
South Africa is believed to have made arrangements AstraZeneca and China’s Sinopharm vaccines with the variant raging in the country probably not captured by the vaccines currently in distribution.
The country will also pay prices higher than more financially buoyant countries in the European Union.
While Moderna vaccine may work, the company has also said the immunity it gives against the South African variant may disappear quickly.
South African researchers have said the vaccines produced now may not have an effect against the highly infectious variant in the country.