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On Saturday, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency announced that it had approved the Pfizer/BioNTech
“bivalent” booster for use in people aged 12 and older. The agency
authorised Moderna’s booster as being similarly safe and effective
last month. Previous COVID-19 vaccines only targeted the initial
strain, even as new mutants emerged. In contrast, half of each of
the bivalent boosters are specifically designed to offer protection
against the newer omicron variants.
The Government will be offering the vaccines to everyone aged 50
and over as the NHS bolsters itself against the surge of infections
expected this winter.
Boosters will also be offered to the vulnerable, as well as
front-line health care workers.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “These innovative vaccines
will broaden immunity and strengthen our differences against what
remains a life-threatening virus.
“If eligible, please come forward for a booster jab as soon as
you are contacted by the NHS.”
The UK is rolling out its autumn booster
vaccine campaign (Image: Getty
Images)
WINTER could see the emergence of
“completely new” strains of COVID-19, the EMA has warned
(Image: Getty Images)
The announcement as the European Union’s drug agency warned that
entirely new COVID variants could emerge over the course of this
winter.
However, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) added, existing
vaccinations should be able to protect people from serious illness
and death.
The EU is also preparing to roll out a booster campaign in
anticipation of a wave of new coronavirus cases hitting later this
year.
In Europe, booster jabs will include a mixture of newly-approved
vaccines against the dominant Omicron variant, alongside the
original vaccinations developed to fight the strain that first
emerged in China back in 2019.
Despite the mixed delivery, EMA vaccines chief Dr Marco Cavaleri
said the EU citizens “should not wait for a specific vaccine”.
He added: “There might be a completely new variant emerging that
we are not able to predict today.”
On Thursday last week, the EMA approved vaccines developed by
both Pfzier/BioNTech and Moderna that have been adapted to tackle
the older BA.1 Omicron subvariant.
Meanwhile, the EU is expected to authorise the version of the
Pfizer vaccine updated for the now-dominant BA.4 and 5 strains in
mid-September, followed by a similar Moderna jab.
Delivery of the new Omicron-adapted jabs in Europe will largely
be targeted at seniors, the vulnerable, pregnant women and
healthcare workers, Dr Cavaleri said.
Most Europeans, however, will be administered the original
vaccines.
Dr Cavaleri added: “The original vaccines are still able to
protect against severe COVID-19 disease and death, even if they are
less effective at preventing infection.”
The vaccine chief added that predictions had “not excluded” the
possibility that new variants this winter could end up being closer
to the earlier Omicron strains that have now been overtaken by the
BA.4 and 5 types.
