UK becomes 1st country to approve Moderna vaccine targeting Omicron variant

The MHRA said it had approved the vaccine for adult booster doses "after it was found to meet the UK regulator's standards of safety, quality and effectiveness" and to prompt a "strong immune response" against both strains.

Updated on: Aug 15, 2022, 16:53:53 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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The UK on Monday became the first country to approve an updated Moderna vaccine against Covid-19 that targets the Omicron variant as well as the original form. The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the bivalent vaccine made by US drug company Moderna as a booster for adults.

A vial of the Moderna vaccine rests on a table at an inoculation station next to Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. (AP file)

In a statement, the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it had approved the vaccine for adult booster doses "after it was found to meet the UK regulator's standards of safety, quality and effectiveness" and to prompt a "strong immune response" against both strains.

The MHRA gave its nod based on clinical trial data that showed the booster triggered "a strong immune response" against both Omicron (BA.1) and the original 2020 virus, the agency said.

The MHRA also cited an exploratory analysis in which the shot was also found to generate a good immune response against the currently dominant Omicron offshoots BA.4 and BA.5.

"The first generation of COVID-19 vaccines being used in the UK continue to provide important protection against the disease and save lives," MHRA chief executive June Raine said in a statement.

"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."

(With inputs from AFP, Reuters)

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