Half of the booster, called “Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron,” targets the original strain of the coronavirus while the other half targets Omicron, it said. The UK government said the decision to grant approval for the take was approved by the MHRA, the government’s independent expert scientific advisory body, after it carefully considered the evidence. It was approved following the results of a clinical trial in which Moderna reported that its Omicron-targeted booster showed a stronger immune response against the variant. The company said its updated amplifier also showed a “strong” response to the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants. The side effects were described by the MHRA as the same as with the original Moderna booster dose and were found to be “usually mild and self-resolving”. “No serious safety concerns were identified,” the UK government’s statement said. As Covid-19 continues to mutate, MHRA Chief Executive Dr June Raine said the new Moderna booster will help keep communities protected. “The first generation of COVID-19 vaccines used in the UK continues to provide significant protection against the disease and save lives. What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our arsenal to help us protect against this disease as the virus continues to evolve.” It is not yet clear to whom or when the booster will be offered. The UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) will advise on the release of the vaccine. Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said on Twitter that he was “delighted” that the vaccine was approved. “This represents the first approval of a bivalent vaccine containing Omicron, this bivalent vaccine has an important role to play in protecting people in the UK from Covid-19 as we head into the winter months,” he said. Moderna isn’t the only vaccine maker updating its Covid-19 vaccines. In June, Pfizer and BioNTech tested two Covid-19 vaccine boosters to target the Omicron variant. The companies said preliminary results show a significantly higher immune response than current shots for Covid-19.
