The UK is the first country to approve an Omicron-specific jab (David Davies/PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)An updated Moderna Omicron vaccine has been approved for use in the UK as part of a wider autumn booster campaign.
This makes Britain the first country in the world to authorise an Omicron-specific jab.
On Monday the vaccine was approved for safety and efficacy, with doses expected to roll out within weeks, in time for a new booster drive before the winter months.
How does the Moderna Covid bivalent vaccine work?
The new vaccine is bivalent, meaning it works in a pairing. It uses a combination of the original Covid vaccine and a version that targets the currently dominant Omicron strain. Each dose contains 25 micrograms of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and the tailored Omicron formula, providing protection against both.
When will the Moderna Omicron-specific booster be rolled out?
In 2022 the UK ordered 29 million doses of the Moderna vaccine – and according to the FT, the first two-strain vaccines will be delivered in the next two weeks because manufacturing began months before the authorisation.
Moderna chief Stéphane Bancel said: “This bivalent vaccine has an important role to play in protecting people in the UK from Covid-19 as we enter the winter months. This represents the first authorisation of an Omicron-containing bivalent vaccine, further highlighting the dedication and leadership of the UK public health authorities in helping to end the Covid-19 pandemic."
He added that the new iteration of Omicron-targeted vaccine has “consistently shown superior breadth of immune response”, in comparison with the first 2020 dose.
Who will get the new booster?
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advised UK health bodies to administer the booster to the following groups:
· People aged over 50
· Health and social care staff
· Carers over the age of 16
· People over five with pre-existing health issues, or who share a house with an at-risk person
· Pregnant women
Following the quick spread of new variants, the immunisation scheme has expanded to include those aged 50-65 – although they were not originally included in the booster campaign.
