NEW variants are “a warning of what is coming, which we must take incredibly seriously”, a member of SAGE has said. 

Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said vaccine nationalism must be also avoided.

It comes as the manufacture of a coronavirus vaccine is beginning in Scotland today.

Mr Farrar told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “In the future I think we will see variants that escape from the vaccines. The thing to do at the moment is to vaccinate as many people as we can in the world to drive down the amount of transmission and prevent these new variants coming.

“That’s in our national interests, it’s in an equitable and ethical interest, and it’s in the world’s interests to do so.”

Asked if it is now a reality, including in Europe, he said: “Yes, I’m afraid it is and it’s something that we absolutely have to negotiate, we have to avoid, and it doesn’t serve anybody to have these fights over vaccine supply.”

He said the only answer is to “drive down transmission, to keep it low and to make these vaccines available globally, otherwise we will see new variants coming up, new strains of this virus which will come back to all of our countries.”

Such new strains “at some point in the future” might escape vaccines, he added.

Meanwhile, the manufacture of a coronavirus vaccine is beginning in Scotland today.

If it is approved by regulators manufacturer Valneva is expected to deliver up to 60 million doses to the UK later in the year.

If the vaccine is proven to be safe, effective and suitable, the UK has secured an option to acquire a further 130 million doses.

The vaccine is being manufactured at Valneva’s site in Livingston, West Lothian.

It comes as the EU demands vaccine supplies from AstraZeneca to be sent from UK plants.

Senior Cabinet minister Michael Gove has said there “will be no interruption” to vaccine supplies.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “First thing, we must make sure that we continue with the effective acceleration of our vaccination programme. That relies on the supply schedule that has been agreed to be honoured. That’s the first and most important thing.

“But secondarily I’m sure we all want to do everything possible to make sure that as many people in countries which our are friends and neighbours are vaccinated and I think we best achieve that through dialogue and co-operation and friendship.”

Kim Van Sparrentak, who is on the EU’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, called for “transparency” in relation to the contract with AstraZeneca covering the vaccine.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think the most important thing right now that we need is transparency on the contract and what is actually the truth because that is apparently very difficult to decipher right now.

“The problem is that there is a contract with AstraZeneca. They have promised us a certain amount of doses and they are not able to deliver.

“Based on these promises, we have rolled out vaccination programmes in 27 countries and the most vulnerable people were able to finally breathe again, to have the feeling ‘OK we will get the vaccine soon’ and now the planning is completely being jeopardised so we need clarity and that’s why I think transparency is most important.”