The World Health Organization has identified another coronavirus variant that may have the ability to evade vaccine protections.
The B.1.621 variant, also known as the “mu” variant, was first identified in Colombia in January 2021. WHO officially labeled mu as a variant of interest (VOI) on Aug. 30, according to its
Weekly Epidemiological Update published Tuesday.
“The Mu variant has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape,” the organization wrote, noting that vaccinated individuals appear to show a “reduction in neutralization capacity” against mu. WHO added that these “potential properties” may have similarities to those observed in the beta variant.