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.
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.
Subscribe to our newsletter
To be updated with all the latest news and analyses daily.
