However, while Moderna has already stockpiled “hundreds of millions” of doses of its new drug, it is understood that the UK’s current order will fall short of the 26 million figure unless a new deal is struck. The UK was due to receive 29 million doses from Moderna this year, with several million more to come. The remainder of the order is set to be filled with the updated vaccine. Darius Hughes, UK managing director at Moderna, told the Telegraph that the batches were ready for dispatch and would be sent to the UK in the coming weeks. Pfizer’s bivalent small-targeting enhancer, which is under review for approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), is expected to receive approval in the coming weeks, the Telegraph has learned. Data from Pfizer, released in June, show that the jab “elicits a significantly higher immune response against the micron than we have seen to date.” The MHRA said it could not provide a timetable for approval but claimed it was “rigorously considering Pfizer’s data and analysis as soon as possible using our review process”. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) advised that a single form of vaccine should be used throughout the renewed campaign and the preference for this is considered to be bivalent vaccines. However, he added that getting a booster as soon as possible was more important than which version a person would receive. Professor Anthony Harnden, the deputy chairman of the JCVI, told BBC Breakfast: “The whole basis of the program is to target these vulnerable people for a booster to keep their immunity boosted to protect against serious illness. “So the message is really get vaccinated with your booster and don’t worry too much about the type of vaccine you’re getting.”
