An updated Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine focused on the Omicron XBB 1.5 subvariant has been given green light by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency). This approval comes as a result of the vaccine being deemed to fulfill the requirements for quality, safety, and efficacy that are set by the UK regulator.
There is still one more step that has to be completed, and that is getting approval from the CDC. On Tuesday (September 12), an advisory council for the CDC is going to release recommendations for who is most in need of the revised vaccinations.
Because the immune system (the natural defenses of the body) is stimulated to develop antibodies and blood cells that are effective against the virus, the modified vaccination offers the same level of protection against COVID-19 as the original vaccine did. All of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines that have been modified serve to strengthen the protection that is received from previous administrations of the vaccine and offer longer-lasting protection against becoming extremely unwell as a result of COVID-19.
Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against the serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated, stated FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks.
The outmoded combo vaccinations that protected against both the initial coronavirus strain and an earlier type of omicron are being phased out in favor of a new recipe that takes aim at an omicron variation known as XBB.1.5. According to statements made by federal authorities; the vaccinations will continue to be provided at no cost to the majority of Americans who have private insurance/ Medicare.
Later this week, vaccinations could start, and if you go in for one, you can actually receive both the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time.
