Matt Hancock told MPs that there are 'early indications' the coronavirus vaccine works on the new variants of the virus,
Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, the Health Secretary said that there are signs the Covid-19 vaccine deals with newer variants in the same way that it does the older variant of the virus.
It comes after fears the variant, dubbed B.1.1.7, has mutations that may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccines designed to protect against the virus.
Labour's Jonathan Ashworth asked Mr Hancock: "The new variants remind us we have to go further and faster on vaccination and work harder to break admission chains.
"Early analysis suggests the South African B-1351 variant brings a reinfection risk which means vaccines may need to be redesigned. Has (Mr Hancock) got a contingency plan in place?"
Mr Hancock responded: "Obviously we are vigilant to this and keep this under close review.
"I'm glad to say that the early indications are that the new variant is dealt with by the vaccine just as much as the old variant, but of course we are vigilant to the new variants that we're seeing overseas."
However, Mr Hancock said the supply of vaccines is currently "lumpy" as the target to have vaccinated all those in the top four priority groups by February 15 nears.
Responding to Mr Merriman, the health secretary said: "The challenge to supply is, essentially, that we have a lumpy supply.
"The manufacturers are working incredibly hard to deliver the supply as fast as possible, and I pay tribute to them and their work, but it is challenging and therefore it isn’t possible to give certainty as far out as many GPs and those delivering on the ground would like – because the worst thing would be to give false certainty.
"We do try to give information about what is coming next week, but going further out than that, until the supply smooths out, which I’m sure it will over time, I think that would give false certainty and the worse thing would be to have GPs across the country booking in large numbers of people and then having to reschedule those appointments unnecessarily."
He added that the UK is "on track" to deliver on its goal of vaccinating elderly care home residents with 63 percent of reidents having already received vaccination.
