The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the first bivalent covid-19 vaccine capable of protecting both SARS-CoV-2 and the omicron variant.
The vaccine called Spikevax Original/Omicron bivalent will be administered as a booster dose in adults “after verifying that it meets safety, quality and efficacy standards.”
The bivalent booster vaccine was approved by the UK government in conjunction with the MHRA following successful results from a clinical trial in which Moderna achieved an immune response to omicron. The pharmaceutical company claimed that its vaccine also showed a “strong” response against the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants.
As for side effects, the MHRA stated that these were “typically mild and self-resolving”, as they are similar to those generated by Moderna’s covid-19 vaccines.
No serious security issues were identified.
I am pleased to announce the approval of the Moderna bivalent booster vaccine, which in the clinical trial provided a strong immune response against the BA.1 omicron variant as well as the original 2020 strain.
While the first generation of COVID-19 vaccines continue to save lives, this bivalent vaccine provides a more refined tool in protecting against this disease as the virus continues to evolve.
– Dr. June Raine, Chief Executive of the MHRA
Dr. Paul Burton, director of Moderna, said that the bivalent booster can raise a person’s antibodies to such high levels that an annual administration may only be needed.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the increase in cases of covid-19 has been driven by the omicron variant, so this vaccine would bring great benefits to the entire world.