Several Western governments rushed to offer support for the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination after South Africa halted its rollout when research showed it offered minimal protection against mild infection from a variant spreading there. In South Africa, authorities have paused rollout of this vaccine after a study found it offers only limited protection against the coronavirus variant first identified there. 3:42Australia is expected to approve the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine within days and expressed confidence in it. The AstraZeneca vaccine was the big hope for Africa as it is cheap and easy to store and transport. The B1351 variant dominant in South Africa, also known as 20I/501Y.V2, is also circulating in at least 40 other countries, including Canada and the United States.

Source: CBC News February 08, 2021 16:49 UTC