As of late 2020, several COVID-19 vaccines were being deployed or under development. However, as further mutations occur, concerns were raised as to whether vaccine development would need to be altered. SARS-CoV-2 does not mutate as quickly as, for example, influenza viruses, and the new vaccines that had proved effective by the end of 2020 are types that can be adjusted if necessary. As of the end of 2020, German, British, and American health authorities and experts believe that existing vaccines will be as effective against VOC-202012/01 as against previous variants. On 18 December, NERVTAG determined "that there are currently insufficient data to draw any conclusion on…antigenic escape". , Public Health England confirmed there is "no evidence" to suggest that the new variant would be resistant to the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine currently being used in the UK's vaccination programme, and that people should still be protected. E484K mutation On 2 February 2021, Public Health England reported that they had detected "a limited number of B.1.1.7 VOC-202012/01 genomes with E484K mutations", which is also present in the Beta and Gamma variants; a mutation which may reduce vaccine effectiveness. On 9 February 2021, it became known that some 76 cases with the E484K mutation had been detected, principally in Bristol, but with a genomically distinct group in Liverpool also carrying the mutation. A week later a Research and analysis report from PHE gave a total of 77 confirmed and probable cases involving the E484K mutation across the UK, in two variants, VUI-202102/01 and VOC-202102/02, the latter described as 'B.1.1.7 with E484K'. On 5 March 2021, it was reported that a B.1.1.7 lineage with the E484K mutation has been detected in two US patients (in Oregon and New York states). Researchers think that the E484K mutation in the Oregon variant has arisen independently.
SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant
SARS-CoV-2 Gamma variant
SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant
SARS-CoV-2 Kappa variant
SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant
SARS-CoV-2 Mu variant
SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant