Yahoo Movies New COVID vaccine will target specific variant (as well as the virus in general)
A new coronavirus vaccine, designed to target not only Covid-19 in general but the specific Omicron strain, has been given the greenlight in the UK. Britain is the first country to offer up a seal of approval for the new jab, which has the very Robot Wars-sounding name of 'Spikevax'.
The government and Moderna, who make the vaccine, have said it hopes that around 13 million doses will be ready in time for autumn's booster campaign, however they're also encouraging the public to go ahead with whatever jab is made available to them at the time, saying all are designed to protect against coronavirus in some way.
Speaking about this new bivalent vaccine (a fancy name for a jab that does two jobs - in this case targeting the original strain of Covid-19, along with one of its, sadly many, mutated forms, Omicron BA 1), Dr June Raine, of the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, was keen to reassure people that the drug has been thoroughly tested.
"What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve," Dr Raine said [via the BBC], adding that the formula had been trialled on 473 people. The results of that testing stage, she said, confirmed that Spikevax is safe and offers better immune protection against newer variants.
However, as yet it's not known the impact that Spikevax could have in terms of preventing people from becoming seriously ill with Covid, nor how well it will perform on further strains of the virus set to emerge over the coming months.
As for who will be eligible for the new jab, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises governments in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, has recommended the following groups of people should be offered the Spikevax booster come autumn:
Health and social care staff
Everyone aged 50 and over
Carers who are over the age of 16
People over five whose health puts them at greater risk, this includes pregnant women
People over five who share a house with somebody with a weakened immune system
As for those under the age of 50 and who are in good health, it's not known when Spikevax may be offered, if at all.
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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