Oxford University researchers working on a new coronavirus vaccine to combat the South African variant are hopeful it will be ready to use by autumn.
Oxford vaccine lead researcher Professor Sarah Gilbert said her team has "a version with the South African spike sequence in the works".
The emergency of the more contagious South African variant in the UK has worried the Government and experts, and led to a door-to-door testing blitz in postcodes where it has been detected.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi on Sunday looked to allay fears about the mutant strain after a study found the current Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine offered only limited protection against mild disease caused by the mutation.