The UK has become the first country in the world to give approval to a new Covid jab specifically targeting the Omicron variant. The “next generation” coronavirus booster jag may only need administering once per year and has been approved for use in adults.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised Moderna’s bivalent vaccine, which targets the original Covid strain and the Omicron variant. Known as mRNA-1273.214, the dose is an updated version of the Moderna vaccine which has already been used for first, second and booster doses, and it will be the first dose approved in the UK which targets two strains of the virus.
Moderna’s chief medical officer, Dr Paul Burton, previously said that the new jag can boost a person’s antibodies to such high levels that it may only be needed annually. Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer at Moderna, described it as a “next generation Covid-19 vaccine” which will play an “important role in protecting people in the UK from Covid-19” over the winter.
