The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that drugmakers like Pfizer and Moderna move ahead with developing omicron-specific booster shots…
According to CNBC, both companies have already started designing boosters based on Omicron’s BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants, and the FDA encouraged them to forge ahead with new booster formulations targeting Omicron’s newer, more infectious BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
Photo via CNBC
The FDA also noted that these shots should be developed, tested, and hopefully approved for us “starting in early to mid-fall 2022” which is between the end of September to October.
The existing vaccines that we have now only target the ancestral form of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, which first surfaced in Wuhan, China, but although these shots still broadly protect against severe infections, “their effectiveness does appear to wane with time,” said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
He added that each new variant has been successively more contagious than its predecessor, and throughout the world, Omicron subvariants have been fueling increased infections and hospitalizations, the latter, especially among older people.
Photo via The Conversation
Guys, this is why the vaccine is important to protect you against the COVID-19 virus.
But even if you’ve gotten your booster shot, please don’t be complacent and take care of yourself against COVID!
Remember to wash your hands regularly and wear a face mask when you’re in a crowded place. Stay safe, guys!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
