German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach discusses strategies against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, August 12, 2022. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
BERLIN: Germany’s health minister said on Friday that the European Union’s drug regulator could approve the use of vaccines, each effective against two variants of the coronavirus.
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach hopes the European Medicines Agency will meet on September 1 to consider a vaccine that offers protection against the original virus and the so-called Omicron variant, also known as BA.1. said that
EU agencies will meet again on September 27 to consider a combination vaccine against the original virus and the BA.5 variant responsible for the recent global surge in COVID-19 cases, Lauterbach said. intend to do something.
Germany has procured enough vaccines for both, he said, to start rolling out the day after they are licensed.
The combination vaccine, known as a “bivalent” or “multivalent” shot, allows boosters to retain the proven benefits of the original coronavirus vaccine while offering additional protection against new variants, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. says.
Such an approach is used in influenza vaccination. Vaccination can be adjusted annually according to circulating variants and protect against four influenza strains.
