Monday’s announcement by Britain was the first to authorize a coronavirus vaccination that targets two variants of the virus. Omicron, which is the dominant variant, and the original virus, was approved by the UK.
Moderna’s vaccine will target Omicron in half of its doses. In clinical trials, the vaccine, an updated version of Moderna’s original Covid vaccine, generated a good immune response to these two variants, as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants in adults, researchers found.
Dr. June Raine, the chief executive of Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, said she was pleased that the new booster vaccine met the regulator’s standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. The decision was endorsed by Britain’s independent expert scientific advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines.
“The first generation of Covid-19 vaccines being used in the U.K. continue to provide important protection against the disease and save lives,” Dr. Raine said. “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.”
According to people familiar, the Biden administration is planning to launch a Covid-19 boost campaign in the United States. It will use updated vaccines from Moderna (Pfizer) that target new variants. Officials decided to delay expanding eligibility for second boosters of vaccines this summer due to the closeness of new formulations. Only Americans over the age of 50 and individuals with certain immune deficiencies over 12 years old are eligible for second booster doses.
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Moderna stated in a statement that they were working with British health officials on the distribution of the new vaccine. However, it was not clear when the shots will be made available to the public. The company stated that it had submitted regulatory applications for the vaccine in Australia and Canada and was expecting further authorization decisions in coming weeks.
Stéphane Bancel, Moderna’s chief executive, said in a statement on Monday that Britain’s authorization highlighted “the dedication and leadership of the U.K. public health authorities in helping to end the Covid-19 pandemic.” He added that the vaccine had “an important role to play in protecting people in the U.K. from Covid-19 as we enter the winter months.”
The Omicron subvariants were highly contagious and caused more hospitalizations with Covid than the winter Omicron wave. But booster shots have raised people’s levels of protection, scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last month. The C.D.C. The C.D.C. recommends that people get booster shots as soon and as possible.
Overall, Britain has high vaccination rates. 76 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. 60 percent have received an extra dose. In contrast, the United States has a high level of vaccinations. Only 67 percent are fully vaccinated. However, the booster program is still in place and only 32 percent have received an additional dose. Globally, 64 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, according to The New York Times’s Covid vaccine tracker.
Britain has accelerated its booster program to counter the highly contagious Omicron virus in December. Anyone aged 16 or older is eligible for a booster shot. Some children 12 and under are also eligible.
According to the British government, anyone 50 years old and older will be eligible for another dose in the autumn. Eligible recipients will include household contacts of patients with immunocompromised, caregivers, and frontline workers. British regulators stated that side effects of the new vaccine were similar to those seen with the original Moderna booster dose. They were usually mild and did not pose any safety concerns.
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