The United Kingdom has become the first country in the world to approve a dual vaccine which fights both the original COVID-19 virus and the new Omicron variant. Ministers in the UK said the vaccine will now form a part of the autumn booster campaign.
Moderna said 13 million doses of the new vaccine will be available in 2022, but 26 million people in the United Kingdom are eligible for some form of booster vaccine. The health officials of the United Kingdom said, people should take booster doses if they are offered as all jabs provide protection.
The original COVID-19 vaccines used in the pandemic were designed to train the body to tackle the first form of the COVID-19 virus. The virus has since mutated substantially, with a stream of new COVID-19 variants emerging that can dodge several of their immune defences, and they have also caused large increase in cases across the world.
The original COVID-19 vaccines still provide strong protection against becoming seriously ill, but the companies are struggling to match the virus as it evolves. Currently, cases of COVID-19 are decreasing in the United Kingdom, and around 2.5 million people have tested positive for the virus.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency of the United Kingdom has considered the evidence and given the COVID-19 vaccine approval for use in adult people in the country.
