Preliminary findings from the WHO expert committee suggested that previous vaccinations were less effective at avoiding symptomatic Covid illness in patients who had caught the new Omicron strain, which is presently sweeping the globe.
In light of the rising number of COVID-19 infections and the high transmissibility of emerging variants of concern, World Health Organization (WHO) experts warned on Tuesday that repeating booster doses of the original Covid vaccines is not a viable strategy for preventing emerging variants, and called for new and improved coronavirus vaccines. Current Covid-19 vaccinations may need to be upgraded to give continuing protection against new variations, including Omicron, according to the health authorities.
The health body’s panel of 18 specialists evaluating the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccinations concluded that merely giving new injections of current Covid vaccines when new strains of the virus arise was not the best method to combat the pandemic. “A vaccination approach based on repeated booster doses of the initial vaccine composition is unlikely to be suitable or sustainable,” the WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Covid-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-Co-VAC) stated in a statement.
Preliminary results showed that existing vaccinations were less effective at preventing symptomatic Covid illness in patients who had caught the new Omicron form, which is presently spreading like wildfire over the globe, according to the WHO expert committee. However, protection against serious illness, which was the purpose of the jabs, “is more likely to be retained.”
It was suggested that vaccinations be developed that would not only protect individuals from becoming very sick, but also better prevent infection and transmission in the first place.
“Covid-19 vaccines with a high effect on infection and transmission prevention, as well as severe illness and mortality prevention, are required and should be produced,” TAG-Co-VAC said.
These revisions must be based on strains that are genetically and antigenically similar to the circulating variations. In order to “avoid the need for further booster doses,” they should also elicit “wide, powerful, and long-lasting” reactions, according to WHO. Experts have urged Covid-19 vaccine makers to give data on the efficacy of current and Omicron-specific vaccinations in order to determine when vaccine composition adjustments may be necessary.
“Until such vaccines become available, and as the SARS-CoV-2 virus evolves, the composition of current Covid-19 vaccines may need to be updated to ensure that (they) continue to provide WHO-recommended levels of protection against infection and disease by VOCs (variants of concern), including Omicron and future variants,” according to the statement.
