Pfizer says updated booster protects against Omicron subvariants
Omicron-tailored shots made by Pfizer and Moderna Inc have already been greenlit by several countries, including in the US for adults and, more recently, for children as young as 5 years.
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Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech said on Thursday that their Omicron-adapted Covid-19 vaccine booster generated a strong immune response against the currently circulating BA.5 and the BA.4 subvariants of Omicron.
The companies said data from a trial in adult patients showed that the booster dose led to a substantial increase in neutralising antibody levels against the BA.4/BA.5 variants.
Omicron-tailored shots made by Pfizer and Moderna Inc have already been greenlit by several countries, including in the US for adults and, more recently, for children as young as 5 years.
But, that US authorisation was based on the safety and effectiveness of the original vaccine, and not the BA.4/BA.5-tailored shots.
The preliminary data on Thursday also suggested that the bivalent vaccine was likely to provide better protection against the Omicron subvariants than the original vaccine.
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