Shao said at a news briefing on Thursday that Chinese researchers have already started research and accumulated data on the new variant discovered in India, which is believed to be more contagious than the original virus.

The preliminary research suggests that the current inactivated vaccines still work against the mutated variant, he said.

The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is constantly mutating and even if an emerging mutated variant reaches beyond the protection efficacy of the existing vaccines, China has the capability to respond to it quickly because the production process is mature enough and does not require much change to produce a new vaccine against the mutation, he said.