Coronavirus: UK's Shapps says vaccine may not respond in the same way to South African variant

UK Transport Minister Grant Shapps has said that vaccines may not respond in the same way to the South African variant of COVID-19. Shapps is echoing concerns raised by British scientists earlier in the week and contradicts a more upbeat assessment by Pfizer.

The US drugmaker, which developed a jab with Germany's BioNTech, said that its lab tests show that the immunization project works against both the Britsh and South African strains. The research is still awaited peer review. 

S&P futures have edged lower but still remain positive. The safe-haven US dollar is marginally higher in response. 

Coronavirus: Statistics, herd immunity, vaccine calendar and impact on financial markets and currencies