Omicron-Specific Booster: WHO Likely to Recommend

The World Health Organisation is probable to advise an Omicron-specific booster dose. Omicron variant is known to evade vaccine-induced immunity.

The World Health Organisation may probably advise an Omicron-specific booster dose.

The move marks a significant shift in the thinking of the global health agency which has so far recommended against the use of Covid boosters because thousands, including healthcare workers, in many low-income countries are yet to receive a single shot.

Omicron Variant of COVID-19
Omicron variant is a mutated strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) with faster transmissibility and enhanced virulence compared to the original COVID-19 virus.

‘The heavily infectious Omicron variant, which emerged late last year, is known to evade vaccine-induced immunity. Further, efficacy of existing vaccines and booster doses have shown to wane quickly, especially when pitted against Omicron.’

The preliminary advice, as described by two people with knowledge of the matter and contained in documents seen by the Financial Times, comes from the WHO technical group.

While the WHO did not respond to questions, it said it was ’aware’ that a statement from the technical group was ’forthcoming’, the report said.

The real-world policy recommendation by the WHO will be made once safety and other data become available for variant-specific vaccines, the people with knowledge of the matter were quoted as saying.

Omicron-Specific Booster Dose

While Moderna, Pfizer and others have brought out Omicron-specific boosters, no variant-specific vaccine is yet on the market.

Omicron Strains may Drive New COVID Wave
An uptick in COVID cases is driven by Omicron sub-variants BA.4, BA.5. BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron are not thought to be any more lethal than other types of COVID.

Moderna said that its bivalent booster elicited increased antibodies last week and was safe and well-tolerated. And the European Medicines Agency began a rolling review of the BioNTech/Pfizer variant-specific vaccine this week.

The WHO advice "is a signal to the industry to develop vaccines that broaden the immune response in addition to maintaining protection against severe disease", one of the people with knowledge of the matter said. "It’s only mRNA vaccines for now, so supplies will be limited," the report said.

New Omicron Sub-Variants BA.4 and BA.5 Spread Across United States
Two new Omicron subvariants are on the rise in the United States, adding to concern of health experts whether they may fuel a summer surge in COVID-19 cases.

Based on the data available, the WHO estimates that an Omicron-specific booster would elicit "greater breadth" in the immune response.

However, the third dose of existing vaccines would still be used effectively.

Are Children More Susceptible to New Variants of Omicron � BA.4 and BA.5?
Children who previously had COVID-19 or the inflammatory condition MIS-C, associated with the virus, are not protected against the newer Omicron variant according to a new study.

"The relative benefit of these (variant) specific vaccines versus their cost is unknown," the person was quoted as saying. "(We) need to be careful that people don’t think these are superior to existing vaccines."

Source-IANS