These two new versions target the original strain of Covid-19 and Omicron’s BA.1 sub-variant.
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Green light from the European regulator. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorized, on Thursday, September 1, the first vaccines against Covid-19 specifically targeting the Omicron variant. The two so-called “bivalent” vaccines target the original strain of Covid-19 and the BA.1 subvariant of Omicron, explains the agency in a press release (in English).
These vaccines are intended for people aged 12 and over who have received at least one primary vaccination against Covid-19. However, these two versions do not target the contagious BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the Omicron variant, which have emerged in recent months as the dominant strains in the world.
The EMA, however, recently stated that it is aiming for approval “in the fall” of a Pfizer/BioNTech anti-Covid vaccine targeting the two Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. “Other suitable vaccines incorporating different variants, such as the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, are either under review by the EMA or will be submitted soon and, if approved, will further expand the arsenal of available vaccines”said the EMA on Thursday.