Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Life
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Science
  • Religion
  • History
  • Feature
  • Expat Corner

Repeated COVID-19 boosters not viable, new vaccines key: WHO

by Reuters

GENEVA Jan 11, 2022 - 7:32 pm GMT+3
A syringe containing a shot of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 is seen at the vaccination reference center of the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI) in Zurich, Switzerland, Jan. 4, 2022. (Reuters Photo)
A syringe containing a shot of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 is seen at the vaccination reference center of the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI) in Zurich, Switzerland, Jan. 4, 2022. (Reuters Photo)
by Reuters Jan 11, 2022 7:32 pm

An expert body of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday that repeating booster doses of the original COVID-19 vaccines is not a viable strategy against emerging variants and current jabs may need to be reworked to ensure efficacy against those variants, including omicron.

The technical group, made up of independent experts, said it would consider a change in vaccination composition and stressed that shots needed to be more effective in protecting against infection.

"The composition of current COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide WHO-recommended levels of protection against infection and disease by VOCs (variants of concern), including omicron and future variants," the technical body, tasked with making recommendations to the WHO, said in a statement.

"COVID-19 vaccines need to ... elicit immune responses that are broad, strong, and long-lasting in order to reduce the need for successive booster doses," it added.

"A vaccination strategy based on repeated booster doses of the original vaccine composition is unlikely to be appropriate or sustainable."

However, the statement stopped short of advocating an omicron-specific vaccine at this stage, saying more research was required and urging manufacturers to share data.

It said that an updated vaccine could be aimed specifically at the dominant variant, which is currently omicron in many places, or be a "multivalent vaccine" designed to bust several variants at once. Further recommendations will be issued when more data is available, it added.

Some vaccine makers are already developing next-generation vaccines targeting omicron, the highly contagious variant first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong.

On Monday, Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said a redesigned COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the omicron variant would probably be needed and his company could have one ready to launch by March.

Rival manufacturer Moderna Inc. is also working on a vaccine candidate tailored to omicron, but it is unlikely to be available in the next two months.

A WHO official had previously said the issue of vaccine composition required "global coordination" and should not be left to manufacturers to decide alone.

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    covid-19 pandemic covid-19 variants omicron variant covid-19 vaccines vaccine efficacy
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Percival Lugue, who has the Guinness world record for the largest fast-food toy collection, poses with his toy collection in his home in Apalit, Pampanga province, Philippines, April 20, 2021. (REUTERS Photo)

    Filipino man collects record 200,000 toys from fast-food chains

    TOY-MANIA
    Parts of the newly completed last section of the Northern Marmara Motorway, Istanbul, Turkey, May 19, 2021. (DHA Photo)

    Turkey raises speed limits on highways starting from July

    SPEED-LIMIT

    Türkiye inaugurates biggest natural gas storage facility in Europe

    NATURAL-GAS-SUPPLIES

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    Exhibition on air: Turkish Red Crescent's 'Seven Faces of Humanity'
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021