The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has given the green light for the marketing authorization for the covid-19 vaccine Valneva for use in the primary vaccination of people 18 to 50 years of age. It is the sixth vaccine recommended in the EU for protection against covid-19
How the Valneva vaccine works
Valneva vaccine contains inactivated (killed) Sars-CoV-2 virus, which cannot cause disease, and also contains two ‘adjuvants’, substances that help strengthen the immune response to the vaccine.
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When a person is given this shield product, the immune system identifies the inactivated virus as foreign and produces antibodies. If, subsequently, the vaccinee comes into contact with Sars-CoV-2, the immune system will recognize the virus and be ready to defend itself.
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Omicron’s protection from sub-variants
The EMA notes that “there are limited data on the immunogenicity of the covid-19 Valneva vaccine with respect to variants of concern, including the omicron sub-variants which are currently the dominant strains in many EU countries”.
The side effects
Among the side effects observed, which were generally mild and resolved within a couple of days after vaccination, the most common were pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, nausea or vomiting.
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Based on the available evidence, EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) concluded that the benefits of valneva vaccine outweigh its risks. The safety and efficacy of the vaccine will continue to be monitored.
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