A document issued by SAGE stated that there may be a Covid strain as deadly as MERS in the future, with a case fatality rate of 35%.
The team advises the government on the pandemic response, acknowledging that the vaccine should be effective.
Experts warn that “even in the case of vaccination, because the vaccine cannot provide absolute sterilization immunity”, an additional lethality rate is expected.
Scientists say that the prospect of a more deadly variant is a “realistic possibility” and will have a huge impact on the future death toll in the UK.
Dr Philippa Whitford, Vice Chairman of the All-Party Coronavirus Parliamentary Group, told Mail online: “This report, which should have caused an impact on the British government, quietly emerged from a large number of reports during the recess of the parliament.
“SAGE’s suggestions and comments let us understand a simple reality-we have not yet’beaten’ this virus.
“The UK only donated the first dose of vaccine internationally this week. Unless global production increases rapidly and through the sharing of knowledge and technology, it will be impossible to vaccinate the world and end the pandemic.
“Without stricter border control measures, we might be able to import vaccine-resistant variants, and uncontrolled spread here could lead to another British variant.”
