For the next season, vaccines against Covid-19 will have to be updated to the JN.1 variant. This is the indication that emerged from the latest meeting of the WHO technical group dedicated to the composition of anti-Covid vaccines (Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition; acronym Tag-Co-Vac).
As of April, more than 94% of SarsCoV2 genetic sequences recorded in public databases derive from the JN.1 variant, explains the WHO. Furthermore, it is very likely that the evolution of the virus will continue in this direction, with ‘daughter’ sub-variants of JN.1. Therefore, “future Covid-19 vaccine formulations should aim to induce enhanced neutralizing antibody responses to JN.1 and its descendant lineages.” Therefore, “Tag-Co-Vav recommends the use of the monovalent JN.1 lineage as an antigen in future Covid-19 vaccine formulations,” the statement reads.
According to the WHO, the vaccine currently available, directed against the XBB.1.5 variant, continues to provide protection against the virus, but its effectiveness against the JN.1 variant is approximately 2.5 times lower than that against the XBB variants. Efficacy may wane further with the emergence of new strains derived from JN.1.
Nonetheless, the WHO warns, the indications on the vaccination strategies to follow do not change. For those who must get vaccinated, it is more important to prioritize timeliness: “vaccination should not be delayed in anticipation of access to vaccines with an updated composition”, writes the World Health Organization.
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