Pfizer and Moderna have been approved for use in the European Union (EU) of a novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) vaccine developed with a customized omicron mutation.
“The European Commission has approved the use of Pfizer and Moderna’s Omicron-mutated COVID-19 vaccines,” EU Commissioner Stella Kyriaquides said in a tweet on the 2nd (local time).
Earlier, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the sale of these bivalent vaccines (improved vaccines) that prevent COVID-19 and Omicron the day before.
This is the first time that the EMA has recommended approval of a customized vaccine targeting COVID-19 sub-mutations such as Omicron.
The new vaccine can be given to children 12 years of age and older who have received at least one dose of the old vaccine three months after the previous dose.
Although the new vaccine is an Omicron-specific vaccine, health experts believe it will also be effective in preventing the now dominant Omicron submutant BA.5.
Pfizer’s BA.4 and BA.5 customized COVID-19 vaccines, which are sub-mutations of the Omicron, will be recommended for sale in the fall, the EMA predicted.
Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said, “The new vaccine will start next week.” said
Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also granted emergency approval for the use of these new vaccines on the 31st of last month.
The UK approved the world’s first use of a bivalent vaccine developed by Moderna on the 15th of last month, followed by Switzerland and Australia last month.
/yunhap news