Vaccines not a ‘silver bullet’ in Covid fight says senior NPHET advisor

A senior member of NPHET says we can’t rely on vaccines to be a “silver bullet” in tackling Covid-19.

A new study’s found the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab offers limited protection against mild disease from the South African strain.

The company says early data suggests the vaccine can protect against severe disease caused by the variant.

An adapted jab is now being worked on and could be ready by the autumn.

Cillian de Gascun, chair of NPHET’s Expert Advisory Group, says that’s encouraging. He also added new variants will occur but vaccines can be adapted.