We go back to talking about the new updated vaccine against Covid-19after the approval of the booster in the United Kingdom and the communication by Moderna on the conclusion of the process on the vaccine against Omicron 4 and 5.
The company said it developed the booster candidate (mRna-1273.222) against BA.4 and BA.5 in accordance with US FDA guidelines. It is now conducting a phase 2/3 study and has organized production: the first doses could arrive as early as September.
There are those in the United States who raise the controversy over a experimentation period too shortbut it is evident that the virus is always the same and it is clear that the issue concerns the regulatory bodies and the data that companies will be required to provide, perhaps in an accelerated manner “, as explained in an interview with Money.it by Professor Roberto CaudaDirector of the Gemelli Infectious Diseases Complex Operating Unit, who showed us how the bivalent vaccine against Covid works.
The use of the bivalent vaccine against Covid in the United Kingdom has been approved for a few days, but how does it work and, above all, what does it protect us from?
“The new vaccine, relatively new because the technology which uses, in mRNA, is proven e safe. It is a technology that we have come to know in these two years and which has been used by Moderna and Pfizer. The bivalent vaccine it consists of two parts: on the one hand the that of the old vaccine, designed on the Wuhan virus – the first to appear – and based on the sequences of the virus, the vaccines that we have today have been prepared. On the other hand, the new updated vaccine in which it is no longer the spike – the component of Wuhan – but a new one component made on Omicron 1”.
Why was Omicron 1 chosen for the new vaccine?
Researchers started working on the bivalent vaccine when it is Omicron appearance 1. This one has many more mutations, over 50 in the spike, and so it was reasonable to assume that there might be the phenomenon of immune evasion: Antibodies produced for the vaccine or following an infection are less effective in fighting the infection. At the moment Omicron 1 is not circulating ».
For those who have not taken the 4th dose, is it better to wait for this vaccine or do it right away?
«Those who are fragile should do it, it is good that those who did not do it. The fourth dose campaign was a bit of a flop, also thanks to the summer, but you don’t need to expect the new updated vaccine. After 120 days from vaccination or infection it can still be done “.
Can the bivalent vaccine also help against new variants and in particular Centaurus?
They are Centaur, the variant BA.2.75, we do not know if there will be a diffusion and what kind of diffusion we will have, if it will be important or sporadic. There are currently no studies on the efficacy of the bivalent vaccine on Centaurus but it is it is likely that vaccination will protect us. It will be necessary to understand and accept that with vaccines the effectiveness against serious illness is over 90%, there are no serious forms, but in any case you can get sick and catch a cold.
Moderna and Pfizer have announced that they are working on a specific booster dose against Omicron 4 and Omicron 5, but testing has yet to begin and the trials should be “faster”. Can we trust them?
“Experimental data for Omicron 1 also show validity on Omicron 4 and Omicron 5, so it is possible that they are working on a new and updated vaccine. It is evident that the virus is always the same and it is evident that this is a matter for the regulatory bodies and the data that companies will be required to provide, perhaps in an accelerated manner. It is my hypothesis but if I remember correctly there are some quick rules when the virus changes in form but not in substance and therefore it is clear that there may be a facilitated process. In short, the vaccine is the same. “
In fact, as the CEO of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel also explained: “Moderna’s mRna platform has allowed us to develop, study and distribute bivalent booster vaccines, which demonstrate greater protection against all Covid variants tested, in record time”.
