US health officials approved today a new version of their anti-covid vaccine for the omicron variant from Pfizer and Moderna, with the rapid launch for a new immunization campaign.
Two updated vaccines have been authorized for booster doses, with a limited Pfizer for anyone over 12 years old and a limited Moderna for anyone over 18, according to a statement by the U.S. pharmaceutical agency, the FDA.
The new version of the vaccines targets both the original Covid-19 strain and the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of omycron.
The FDA wrote, therefore, that they should “provide further protection against the currently circulating omicron variant.”
Earlier this summer, the US Department of Health announced that it has purchased 105 million doses of Pfizer and 66 million doses of Moderna for use in the fall and winter.
Vaccines have not yet been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the main US public health agency.
The CDC convened a committee of independent experts on Thursday 1st to discuss the issue.
After carrying out these consultations, the agency’s director, Rochelle Walensky, will be responsible for giving final approval.
This new version of the immunizers could go on sale in the country as early as next week.
The vaccines currently in circulation are designed to protect the first strain of the virus, which was first reported in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.
But they became less and less effective against variants that emerged over time due to the rapid evolution of the virus.
In contrast to the alpha and delta variants, which eventually declined, omicron and its subvariants gradually dominated infectious diseases worldwide in 2022.
Pfizer and Moderna have also submitted an application for authorization to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the updated version of their vaccines.
source: Noticias
