British Regulator First to OK Moderna’s Updated COVID Booster

August 15, 2022by Maria Cheng, Associated Press
British Regulator First to OK Moderna’s Updated COVID Booster
A vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine rests on a table at an inoculation station next to Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., on July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

LONDON (AP) — British drug regulators have become the first in the world to authorize an updated version of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine that includes protection against the omicron variant, which the government said would be offered to people aged 50 and over starting in the fall.

In a statement on Monday, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency said it had given the green light to Moderna’s combination “bivalent” vaccine, which will be used as an adult booster shot.

Each dose of the booster shot will target both the original COVID-19 virus that was first detected in 2020 and the omicron BA.1 variant that was first picked up in November. British regulators said the side effects were similar to those seen for Moderna’s original booster shot and were typically “mild and self-resolving.”

“What this (combination) vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve,” said Dr June Raine, the head of Britain’s health care and medicines regulator.

British health secretary Steve Barclay said the new shot will be part of the country’s booster program roll-out from September, based on advice from the government’s vaccine experts.

“This safe and effective vaccine will broaden immunity and potentially improve protections against some variants as we learn to live with this virus,” Barclay said.

Such an approach, combining protection against several strains of the same disease is used with flu shots, which are adjusted each year depending on the variants that are circulating and can protect against four influenza strains.

Stephane Bancel, Moderna’s Chief Executive, said in a statement that it was the first regulatory authorization for a vaccine aiming to fight the omicron variant, predicting the booster would have an “important role” to play in protecting people against COVID-19 in the winter.

On Friday, Germany’s health minister said the European Medicines Agency might clear tweaked COVID-19 boosters next month.

In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration told vaccine makers that any booster shots tweaked for the fall would have to include protection against the newest omicron variants, meaning BA.4 and BA.5, not the BA.1 subvariant included in Moderna’s latest shot.

Last month, the FDA said it was no longer considering authorizing a second COVID-19 booster for all adults but would instead focus on revamped vaccines for the autumn that target the newest viral subvariants.

Both Moderna and Pfizer are currently brewing updated versions of their vaccine to include BA.5 in addition to the original COVID-19 virus.

According to the World Health Organization, the latest global surge of COVID-19 has been driven by omicron subvariant BA.5, which is responsible about 70% of the virus samples shared with the world’s largest public virus database. The subvariant BA.5 is even more infectious than the original version of omicron and has some genetic differences that earlier vaccines might not address.

Scientists have warned that the continued genetic evolution of COVID-19 means drugmakers will likely be one step behind the virus in their efforts to tailor their vaccines.

“The virus is unlikely to stand still and Omicron-targeted immunity, might push the virus down other evolutionary paths,” warned Jonathan Ball, a professor of virology at Britain’s University of Nottingham. Still, he said the new Moderna vaccine would likely still be protective against severe disease.

Other experts said it was still unknown how effective the new combination vaccine would be.

Beate Kampmann, director of the Vaccine Centre at London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the shot would most likely only offer “partial protection” against the latest omicron variants including BA.5 since it was developed based on earlier versions of COVID-19.

“How much difference such (combination) vaccines can actually make remains to be seen,” she said, noting that the shots have not yet been widely tested in different populations.

 

A+
a-
  • UK
  • vaccine
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    COVID-19

    February 13, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    CDC Said to Be Poised to Revise COVID-19 Isolation Recommendation

    ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is ready to toss its recommendation that individuals isolate themselves for... Read More

    ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is ready to toss its recommendation that individuals isolate themselves for five days following a positive test for the coronavirus. The pending change, which appears slated for an April announcement, was first reported by The Washington Post.... Read More

    Holiday Gatherings and a New Variant Have Driven Up COVID Cases Globally, the UN Health Agency Says

    GENEVA (AP) — The head of the U.N. health agency said Wednesday holiday gatherings and the spread of the most... Read More

    GENEVA (AP) — The head of the U.N. health agency said Wednesday holiday gatherings and the spread of the most prominent variant globally led to increased transmission of COVID-19 last month. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said nearly 10,000 deaths were reported in December, while hospital admissions during... Read More

    As Pandemic Unfolded, Deaths of Older Adults in Pennsylvania Rose Steeply in Abuse or Neglect Cases

    HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania recorded a steep increase in the deaths of older adults following an abuse or neglect... Read More

    HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania recorded a steep increase in the deaths of older adults following an abuse or neglect complaint the last few years, as COVID-19 ravaged the nation, complaints grew and agencies struggled to keep caseworkers on staff. The staggering increase shown in state... Read More

    States Trashing Troves of Masks and Pandemic Gear as Costly Stockpiles Linger and Expire

    When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., many states like Ohio scrambled for masks and other protective... Read More

    When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., many states like Ohio scrambled for masks and other protective gear. Supplies were so limited in 2020 that the state bought millions of medical gowns from a marketing and printing company and spent about $20 million to try... Read More

    Anthony Fauci to Testify Before Congress on COVID Origins and US Pandemic Response

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Fauci, former chief White House medical adviser, is expected to testify before Congress early next year... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Fauci, former chief White House medical adviser, is expected to testify before Congress early next year as part of Republicans' yearslong investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and the U.S. response to the disease. Fauci, who served as the nation's top infectious... Read More

    FDA Advisers Consider Changing COVID Vaccine to Target Latest Omicron Strain

    The COVID-19 vaccines are on track for a big recipe change this fall. Today’s vaccines still contain the original coronavirus... Read More

    The COVID-19 vaccines are on track for a big recipe change this fall. Today’s vaccines still contain the original coronavirus strain, the one that started the pandemic — even though that was long ago supplanted by mutated versions as the virus rapidly evolves. Thursday, the Food... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top