According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the new Covid-19 variation B.1.640, which was discovered by French researchers and is likely of Cameroonian origin, is not "circulating widely at the present" and has been identified in less than 1% of the samples sequenced in France. According to the Xinhua news agency, the strain is also known as the 'IHU' variety because it was first identified by scholars at the IHU Mediterranean Infection institute in Marseille, France. The variant was first found in September 2021 in a number of nations, according to Maria van Kerkhove, technical head for the WHO's Health Emergencies Program, who spoke at a news conference on Thursday. In November 2021, the WHO classified it as a "variant under monitoring" (VUM) after internal discussions. A VUM, according to the WHO definition, is a SARS-CoV-2 variant with genetic changes that are suspected to affect virus characteristics and may pose a future risk, but evidence of phenotypic or epidemiological impact is currently unclear, necessitating increased monitoring and repeat assessment pending new evidence. The WHO designated the B.1.640 variation as a VUM to raise public awareness because it contains multiple alterations, according to Van Kerkhove. She emphasized that current Covid-19 vaccinations are effective against all circulating variations and are highly successful in preventing serious illnesses and death. "I think that's incredibly important for the public to know... get vaccinated when it's your turn because it's really vital," she said. B.1.640 is not a variety that is increasing in prevalence, according to Katherine O'Brien, director of the WHO's Immunization, Vaccines, and Biological Department, although it is a small fraction of the strains circulating.