A new coronavirus vaccine, designed to target not only Covid-19 in general but the specific Omicron strain, has been given the greenlight in the UK. Britain is the first country to offer up a seal of approval for the new jab, which has the very Robot Wars-sounding name of 'Spikevax'.
The government and Moderna, who make the vaccine, have said it hopes that around 13 million doses will be ready in time for autumn's booster campaign, however they're also encouraging the public to go ahead with whatever jab is made available to them at the time, saying all are designed to protect against coronavirus in some way.
Speaking about this new bivalent vaccine (a fancy name for a jab that does two jobs - in this case targeting the original strain of Covid-19, along with one of its, sadly many, mutated forms, Omicron BA 1), Dr June Raine, of the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, was keen to reassure people that the drug has been thoroughly tested.
"What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve," Dr Raine said [via the BBC], adding that the formula had been trialled on 473 people. The results of that testing stage, she said, confirmed that Spikevax is safe and offers better immune protection against newer variants.
However, as yet it's not known the impact that Spikevax could have in terms of preventing people from becoming seriously ill with Covid, nor how well it will perform on further strains of the virus set to emerge over the coming months.
As for who will be eligible for the new jab, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises governments in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, has recommended the following groups of people should be offered the Spikevax booster come autumn:
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- Health and social care staff
- Everyone aged 50 and over
- Carers who are over the age of 16
- People over five whose health puts them at greater risk, this includes pregnant women
- People over five who share a house with somebody with a weakened immune system
As for those under the age of 50 and who are in good health, it's not known when Spikevax may be offered, if at all.
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
