Double doses of the COVID-19 vaccines are found to be effective against the Indian Variant almost as effective against the British Variant.

A study by Public Health England (PHE) found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 88 percent effective against symptomatic disease from the B16172 variant two weeks after the second dose.

The UK Health Minister said that the results are groundbreaking and he said that the government is hopeful that the country can be reopened by next month.

Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were 60 percent effective against symptomatic disease from the Indian variant compared with 66 percent effectiveness against the Kent variant, PHE said.

"I'm increasingly confident that we're on track for the roadmap because this data shows that the vaccine, after two doses, works just as effectively (against the Indian variant)," Health Secretary Matt Hancock told broadcasters.

Under the government's plans, a lifting of remaining coronavirus restrictions is due to take place from Jun 21.