New Covid variant XEC spreads across multiple countries
2 years ago(FILES) Vials of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, also called Vaxzervria, destined for housebound patients, are pictured at Stubley Medical Centre near Chesterfield, central England on April 14, 2021. - British drugmaker AstraZeneca said on May 8, 2024 that it has withdrawn its Covid vaccine Vaxzervria, one of the first produced in the pandemic, citing "commercial reasons" and a surplus of updated jabs. "As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzervria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied," an AstraZeneca spokeperson said. (Photo by OLI SCARFF / AFP)
A new Covid variant, identified as XEC, has been detected in several countries and could soon become the dominant strain, according to scientists. The variant, which was first discovered in…