U.K. Approves , Vaccine Booster , That Targets Omicron.
The United Kingdom has become the first country
to approve vaccine boosters specifically designed
to counter the omicron variant of COVID-19.
The United Kingdom has become the first country
to approve vaccine boosters specifically designed
to counter the omicron variant of COVID-19.
NPR reports that the decision paves
the way for people in the U.K. to receive
their shots early in the fall season.
The Moderna vaccine booster is "bivalent,"
meaning that it combines two
different versions of the vaccine.
Half of the mix is aimed at the original strain
of COVID, while the other half is formulated
to fight the original omicron variant.
What this bivalent vaccine gives us
is a sharpened tool in our armory to
help protect us against this disease
as the virus continues to evolve, Dr. June Raine, Head of the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, via NPR.
What this bivalent vaccine gives us
is a sharpened tool in our armory to
help protect us against this disease
as the virus continues to evolve, Dr. June Raine, Head of the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, via NPR.
According to researchers in the U.K., the omicron
booster "triggers a strong immune response" that defends
against both the 2020 strain of COVID and omicron.
According to researchers in the U.K., the omicron
booster "triggers a strong immune response" that defends
against both the 2020 strain of COVID and omicron.
NPR points out that the combo booster differs
from the omicron-specific booster which officials
in the United States hope to roll out this fall.
The U.S. FDA has requested vaccine developers to target later omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5.
Those two strains currently make
up a majority of cases in the U.S.
According to NPR, officials hope to authorize omicron-specific boosters by mid-September