Although the coronavirus pandemic has receded into the background in recent months, there is still the threat of new waves of infections in the fall and winter. However, many people are waiting for a modified vaccine that will more effectively protect against Omicron variants. The preparation has already been approved by European institutions and may become available in the European Union at the end of September. what do we know about him
What is Omicron Vaccine?
A new vaccine recommended by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Thursday is similar to one already in use against the coronavirus. A modifier based on mRNA technology from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech. In this way, instead of injecting an inactivated virus into the body as is the case with flu vaccines, only the genetic information is injected into the body to help the immune system recognize the infection and fight it in the future. .
However, the coronavirus has mutated several times in recent years, creating new, more contagious variants. Therefore, vaccines are also trying to adapt. The modified vaccination should be better able to prevent variants of the Omicron virus from entering the body. It should offer stronger protection.
When will the Omicron vaccine be available?
The European Union, and possibly the Czech Republic, could also see modified vaccines from Pfizer/Biontech and Moderna as early as September, soon after approval by the European Medicines Agency. The European Commission has the final say on vaccine approval, and that decision is expected soon.
“Maybe from the end of September, we can deliver soon,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Şahin told German magazine Der Spiegel about the modified vaccine. It is being developed, but the EMA is still encouraging its use in the fall, as new vaccine approvals for other subvariants are just beginning. BioNTech is currently providing updated documentation for new documentation.
What’s the situation in America?
Vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech are also set to be approved by the US FDA soon, the paper reported. politicsHowever, he hopes to approve the latest vaccination against Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 immediately. These have not yet been tested in humans, only in mice.office he claimsthe vaccine is already well tested and the new substance has only minor changes.
But many critics worry that mouse-tested vaccines won’t work in humans. That’s why these vaccines are still available in the European Union. they don’t.
Is there a vaccine in the Czech Republic?
The Czech Republic is expected to receive approximately 3.5 million doses of the vaccine by the end of the year. “We have an agreement with Pfizer that if a modified vaccine is approved, all supplies will be modified vaccines by the end of the year,” Health Minister Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09) said on Czech television last Sunday. .
Is there already a vaccination against Omicron somewhere?
England in August became First country in the world to approve a vaccine against coronavirus targeting both the original Omicron variant and subsequent mutations. American company Moderna’s vaccine has been approved by the British Medicines Agency MHRA as a booster dose for adults.
What are the effects of modified vaccines?
Modified vaccines were initially developed to focus on the BA.1 type, but few currently exist. The new version is also expected to be effective against the current Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, which are now dominant and highly contagious.
dataWhat Moderna announced when the vaccine was approved in the UK shows that the modified booster dose is up to 1.7 times more effective than the conventional booster dose and induces a stronger immune system response. . This way the body can better cope with possible infections. However, more detailed data are awaited.
Do vaccines have side effects?
The side effects of Moderna’s modified vaccine are said to be similar to those of the original booster dose. Most of these were mild symptoms that resolved on their own quickly, including shoulder pain at the injection site, fatigue and fever.Vaccination data from Pfizer/BioNTech will be published by the EMA shortly.
Are vaccines useless?
Although the coronavirus situation in the Czech Republic and the world has now calmed down, the pandemic is not over. Czech hospitals currently have about 740 patients. Scientists fear that a new wave of infections could emerge again in the fall or winter. As well as, there is also the risk that the effectiveness of previous vaccinations will decline over time.
Video: Professor Petr Husa on Omicron Symptoms
Living in a Pandemic – Prof. Petr Husa Video on Omicron Symptoms: Christina Pluzinova, Jakub Zzanek
