UK approves another vaccine against Covid: original strain and Ômicron – News

The United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved this Saturday (3) a second vaccine capable of fighting both the original strain of the coronavirus and the Omicron variant.

The Pfizer/BioNTech Immunizer is intended for use in persons over 12 years of age. According to the regulatory body, the compound met all safety, quality and performance standards and will be used from autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

MHRA Executive Director June Raine said, “A second vaccine has been approved for the UK’s autumn booster programme. A clinical trial of the Pfizer/BioNTech bivalent vaccine showed strong immunogenicity against the Omicron BA variant. .”

“Bivalent vaccines help us meet the challenge of an ever-evolving virus to help protect people against variants of Covid-19,” he added.

Susan Rienow, head of Pfizer UK, said in a statement that she was pleased with the MHRA’s decision to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine. “We’ve been following the science since the beginning of the epidemic and we’re delighted to be delivering the National Health Service. [NHS, na sigla em inglês] One more tool [para combater o vírus]”, said.

Last month, the UK approved Moderna’s bivalent vaccine designed to attack both the original Covid-19 virus and the new Ômicron variant.

From September this year, British health authorities are starting booster vaccinations for the over-50s and those in high-risk groups.

The original vaccines used during the pandemic were developed to fight the original form of the virus that emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019, but since then the virus has mutated as new variants have emerged that can overwhelm the immune system. disease in many countries.

With these bivalent vaccines, adults are expected to need one injection once a year.