Does the Covid vaccine protect you from the Indian variant?
CASES of the Indian variant have doubled in the last week in the UK - sparking fears that vaccinated Brits could be infected.
But does the vaccine protect you from the strain? Here's all you need to know.
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Does the Covid vaccine protect you from the Indian variant?
Jabbed-up Brits are protected against the Indian Covid variant, "astounding" tests have shown.
The vaccinations offer positive signs of resistance to the spreading mutant strain, it has emerged.
Professor Susan Hopkins, PHE's Covid-19 strategic response director, said the data trend was "quite clear" and heading in the "right direction".
But a new study on the Pfizer vaccine, published last night found that people who are given that jab produce fewer antibodies to protect them against the virus.
Experts at the Francis Crick Institute and the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre found that antibodies are lower with increasing age and also decline over time.
It suggests that more people could tests positive for the variant but that they might not fall ill with it.
The researchers found that after just one dose of the Pfizer jab, 79 per cent of people had a quantifiable neutralising antibody response.
This fell to 50 per cent for B.1.1.7, 32 per cent for B.1.617.2 and 25 per cent for B.1.351 (South African variant).
The Indian variant threatened to stall the UK's June 21 lockdown lift over concerns it could cripple the country.
Cases of the Indian variant, now named the Delta variant have almost doubled in the past week - rising by 5,472 to 12,431, with areas hardest hit by the variant now being some of the most infected in the country.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to reveal the post-lockdown rules next week, as the government continue to monitor the spread of the Indian variant.
It comes after Matt Hancock said the "vast majority" of people diagnosed with the super-infectious mutation in hotspots Bolton and Blackburn haven't had the vaccine - despite being eligible.
Which vaccine works best against new Covid strains?
New research has found that the Pfizer jab was 88 per cent effective after two jabs, and AstraZeneca proved 60 per cent effective.
Both were 33 per cent effective against symptomatic disease from the Indian variant three weeks after the first dose, in comparison to the 50 per cent protection against the Kent strain.
Professor Adam Finn, Professor of Paediatrics, University of Bristol, said: "These important data from PHE give us a first look at how the effectiveness of the two vaccines we have used the most so far holds up against the B1.617.2 variant that is beginning to circulate in the UK.
"Overall the results are encouraging in that the vaccines are continuing to provide useful protection."
Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the "groundbreaking" development and added: "We can now be confident that over 20 million people have significant protection against this variant."
Dr Mary Ramsay, PHE Head of Immunisation, said: "It’s vital to get both doses to gain maximum protection against all variants."
A separate earlier study of 3,235 vaccinated healthcare workers in India who were given the AstraZeneca suggested it is 97 per cent effective at dealing with the Indian variant of the Covid.
The results found that only 85 reported symptoms of Covid and just two required hospital treatment.
The study by the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi said there had been no deaths or admissions to intensive care of those who have been vaccinated,
Dr Anupam Sibal, group medical director, said: "Our study demonstrated that 97.38 per cent of those vaccinated were protected from an infection and hospitalisation rate was only 0.06 per cent.
"The results of the study show that break-through infections occur only in a small percentage and these are primarily minor infections that do not lead to severe disease.
"There were no ICU admissions or death. Our study makes the case for vaccination stronger."
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may also help guard against future viruses from animals, according to new research.
Experts say current mRNA Covid-19 jabs may already offer some protection against killers like MERS or other unknown threats.
In "exciting" , scientists at North Carolina's Duke University tested mRNA vaccines similar to the approved Covid jabs on lab monkeys.
They found they induced antibodies that not only protected against Sars-CoV-2 - which causes Covid-19 - but could also protect against other coronaviruses,
The mRNA-based Covid vaccine works by tricking the body to produce a harmless piece of the virus, triggering an immune response.
Scientists have long warned the next coronavirus-style pandemic may well be just "around the corner."
At the beginning of June, experts began to probe reports the Indian variant developed a "worrying" mutation, seen in Portugal - which resulted in the country being moved onto the UK's amber list on June 3.
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What are the Indian variant symptoms?
There is no evidence that symptoms of B.1.617.2 are any different to the original ones, including a new, persistent cough, high temperature and loss of taste and smell.
Scientists also have no evidence at this point it cases more severe disease.
People who have received one or two doses of a vaccine have been warned they may show very little or zero symptoms as the jab appears to make infection more mild.
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Sage - the scientists that advise Government - believe the Indian variant could be up to 50 per cent more easily spread than the strain from Kent.
The Kent variant put England back into a third national lockdown because it spread so much faster than the original strain from Wuhan, China.