Covid vaccine-resistant variants are ‘absolute inevitability’, experts warn

Scientists told MPs on the coronavirus multi-stakeholder group that it was impossible to achieve collective immunity through the deployment of jabs because future strains could still infect fully vaccinated people

A vaccine-resistant variant of Covid is “absolute inevitability” and herd immunity through the deployment of jabs is impossible to achieve, senior scientists have warned.

Sir Andrew Pollard, who chairs the UK vaccine watchdog, JCVI, told MPs on Tuesday that while the jabs “slow” transmission, the Delta variant and other future strains can still infect duplicates.

The JCVI said last week that people 16 and 17 should be offered at least one dose of the vaccine.

But Sir Andrew suggested that vaccinating young children wouldn’t help stop the spread entirely and that the jab program shouldn’t be built around it.

He told a session of the multi-stakeholder group on the coronavirus: “We know very clearly with the coronavirus that this current variant, the Delta variant, will always infect people who have been vaccinated and that means anyone who is not still not vaccinated, at some point will encounter the virus.

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Sir Andrew predicted that the next thing could be “a variant which is perhaps even better at transmitting in vaccinated populations” because he suggested that herd immunity was “mythical”.

He added: “So this is even more of a reason not to create a vaccination program around herd immunity.”

It came as the death toll from coronavirus in England and Wales hit its highest level since late March, with 404 deaths recorded in the week ending July 30 – a 24% increase from to the previous week.

Figures released by Public Health England last week also showed that around 35% of people hospitalized with the virus (512) had both doses of the vaccine, with the Delta strain currently accounting for around 99% of cases.

Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia, meanwhile, said variants that would escape vaccines were “absolute inevitability”.

He said: “It’s absolutely inevitable that we get escape variants.”

Professor Hunter said coronaviruses already in circulation will infect people “repeatedly” throughout their lives, usually on average every four or five years.

“A quarter of the British population will be infected on average each year, which means that around 45,000 people will be infected with these other coronaviruses each day.

“At the end of the day, what’s happened with these other coronaviruses is that even though you get a gradual breakout, because we’re re-infected so frequently, we’re actually following. “

Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, said new strains of Covid would hit vaccines, adding: “We’ve seen Alpha, Beta, Delta before, it’s inevitable.”

She added that the vaccines had “transformed” the pandemic but “did not solve it”.

Coronavirus APPP President Lib Dem Layla Moran said: “The disturbing evidence we heard today suggests that given the emergence of new variants, including those resistant to vaccines, the the achievement of collective immunity is only a pipe dream.

“The government’s plan to learn to live with Covid cannot become synonymous with abdicating responsibility to the most vulnerable.

“Ministers must reassess their approach and come up with a new comprehensive long-term plan to mitigate the risks posed by Covid and the new variants. “

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Affairs announced that more than three-quarters of adults in the UK have now received both doses of a Covid vaccine.

A total of 86,780,455 doses were administered in the UK, with 47,091,889 people receiving a first dose (89%) and 39,688,566 people receiving both doses (75%).

Boris Johnson said: “Our incredible vaccine rollout has now provided vital protection against the virus to three quarters of all UK adults. This is a huge national achievement, of which we should all be proud.

“It is so important that those who have not been vaccinated come forward as soon as possible to reserve their vaccine – to protect themselves, their loved ones and allow us all to enjoy our freedoms safely. “

Health Secretary Sajid Javid added: ‘Three in four adults across the UK have now received both doses of the vaccine which is amazing and a testament to the fantastic work of the NHS, volunteers and all people involved in the deployment. ”