UK approves Covid booster vaccine that targets two variants

Britain is the first country to approve the vaccine made by Moderna, which generated a strong immune response against the original virus and the variant Omicron.

Britain on Monday became the first country to authorize a coronavirus vaccine that targets two variants, the original virus and Omicron, the variant that became dominant over the winter.

Half of each dose of the vaccine manufactured by Moderna will target the original variant, and the other half will target Omicron. In clinical trials, the vaccine, an updated version of Moderna's original Covid vaccine, generated a good immune response to both of these variants, as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants in adults, have discovered the researchers.

Dr. June Raine, chief executive of the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said she was delighted that the new booster vaccine met the regulator's standards for safety, quality and efficacy. The decision has been endorsed by the UK's independent scientific advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines.

"The first generation of Covid-19 vaccines used in the UK continue to provide significant protection against disease and save lives," Dr. Raine said. "What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharp tool in our arsenal to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to spread. 'evolve.'

In the United States, Moderna said in late July that the government had obtained 66 million doses of a vaccine it was developing that targets the virus which circulated in 2020 and the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.The Biden administration plans to launch a Covid-19 booster campaign next month with updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna targeting new variants , according to people familiar with the deliberations. s decided to delay expanded eligibility for second boosters of existing vaccines to this summer because the new formulations were about to be ready. Currently, only Americans over age 50 and those over age 12 with certain immune deficiencies are eligible for a second booster dose.

Moderna said in a statement that it was working with British health authorities to distribute the new vaccine, but it was unclear when the vaccines would be available to the public. A UK government official said the health service would provide more details "in due course" on how and when eligible people could access the booster shot. Moderna said it has completed regulatory submissions for the vaccine in Australia, Canada and the European Union and expects further authorization decisions in the coming weeks.

Stéphane Bancel, chief executive of Moderna, said in a statement on Monday that Britain's clearance underlined "the dedication and leadership of UK public health authorities in helping to end the Covid-19 pandemic". He added that the vaccine had "an important role to play in protecting people in the UK against Covid-19 as we enter the winter months".

The emergence of highly contagious diseases Omicron sub-variants this spring appeared to reduce the protection offered by the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines against Covid hospitalizations, with more vaccinated people admitted to hospital with Covid than they had been during Omicron's winter surge. But booster shots have increased people's level of protection, scientists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last month. The C.D.C. recommend this...