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UK is first to approve Moderna jab to tackle Omicron variant

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It's been four years since the UK went into its first Covid-19 lockdown.
It's been four years since the UK went into its first Covid-19 lockdown.

The UK has become the first country in the world to approve a booster jab targeting the Omicron variant, writes Ellis Asher.

Moderna has developed the landmark bivalent ‘Spikevax’ as coronavirus cases continue to fall in the UK.

This comes after the EU’s European Medicines Agency pushed back its delivery of the dose to later in 2022 while it awaits approval.

The dose has been authorised to be given to people aged 18 or over with some groups, like people over 50, being entitled to some form of booster this autumn.

It was reported this week that there had been 50,414 cases in the last 7 days, a 23.7 per cent drop from last week, according to government figures.

“What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve”, MHRA Chief Executive, June Raine.

Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, welcomed the news, saying it “represents the first authorisation of an Omicron-containing bivalent vaccine.