At present, the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants are gradually becoming the mainstream virus in Australia, and there are more and more voices claiming that these two sub-variant viruses are more effective in reinfecting people. Against this background, Australia's Immunization Tech

2024/04/2018:40:33 science 1533

At present, Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants are gradually becoming the mainstream viruses in Australia, and there are more and more voices saying that these two sub-variant viruses are more effective in reinfecting people.

At present, the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants are gradually becoming the mainstream virus in Australia, and there are more and more voices claiming that these two sub-variant viruses are more effective in reinfecting people. Against this background, Australia's Immunization Tech - DayDayNews

Against this background, the Australian Immunization Technical Advisory Group is considering delaying a recommendation to allow more people to receive the fourth dose of the new crown vaccine until a better Omicron targeted vaccine becomes available.

Allen Cheng, the former chairman of the Australian Immunization Technical Advisory Group, said that the expert group is currently paying close attention to the situation in the United States, because Moderna may submit clinical data on the bivalent booster of Omicron to the drug regulatory agency in the near future. He said an important factor currently being considered by the expert group is whether more Australians should receive the fourth dose of the vaccine and whether a better fourth dose vaccine will become available in the future.

Cheng said the expert panel did not immediately change its recommendations on the fourth dose of the vaccine. He said the expert panel was currently considering a number of issues, including fast-tracking resistance to the fourth dose of existing vaccines and identifying possible alternatives.

He added that the alternative currently being considered was that Australia might have access to a better vaccine against the variant in a few months.

Previously, Moderna tested a booster that combined the spike protein of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus that originated in Wuhan with a virus that specifically targets the Omicron BA.1 variant.

Earlier this month, Moderna announced preliminary results for the vaccine. The results showed that the level of -neutralizing antibody produced after vaccination with the booster dose was 1.75 times higher than that of the existing vaccine. But these results need to be carefully evaluated through peer review.

The company said that if the booster is approved for use in the United States, as expected, it will be quickly rolled out to "as many people as possible around the world." It is reported that pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is also developing an upgraded booster shot that can better protect against Omicron.

Paul Griffin, chief researcher of seven new coronavirus vaccine clinical trials, said that there is currently no convincing evidence for healthy people under the age of 65 to receive the fourth dose of the vaccine.

But Griffin also said that this may soon change, because the new Omicron subvariant has shown partial immune evasion from existing vaccines and is susceptible to infection even after a third dose of vaccine or a recent infection. reinfection.

"This is because the genetic mutations in the spike proteins of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants allow them to escape the radar of the immune system and avoid some of the antibodies we may have produced against other subvariants."

Griffin said that recently in the United Kingdom The number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 has risen sharply again, and there are signs that this trend may have already occurred in New South Wales. In the near future, everyone may need a fourth dose of an Omicron-specific booster shot.

At present, the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants are gradually becoming the mainstream virus in Australia, and there are more and more voices claiming that these two sub-variant viruses are more effective in reinfecting people. Against this background, Australia's Immunization Tech - DayDayNews

Griffin said that the future of new coronavirus vaccines is this kind of specific booster shot against variant viruses, which can be adjusted like seasonal influenza vaccines. But he also warned that authorities must provide convincing evidence to get rid of Australians' doubts about the booster shot.

Currently, people eligible to receive the fourth dose of the vaccine include: Australians over 65 years old, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 50 years old, and Australians under the age of 64 who are immunocompromised. (The article comes from the Internet)

science Category Latest News