There is still not enough data to be able to recommend vaccines against Covid-19 specifically targeting the Omicron variant compared to the original strains, experts from the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
Four variant-containing mRNA vaccines including Omicron BA.1 or BA.4/5 subvariants in combination with parent virus have been licensed for use as booster doses.
“Currently available data are insufficient to support a recommendation in favor of booster doses containing bivalent variants” compared to parent virus-based vaccine doses, SAGE said in a statement.
A call for vaccination
SAGE executive secretary Joachim Hombach said experts had found that bivalent vaccines had shown “slightly superior neutralization of the Omicron variant.”
“It’s a relatively modest effect that we can see in the lab,” he said. “What we cannot do is associate these laboratory measures with an increase in protection” because the data that would demonstrate this increase in efficacy are not yet available.
“Because our recommendations really have to be evidence-based, we can’t make a statement in favor of these vaccines,” Dr. Hombach said. “These vaccines are very good, but what is much more important” for protection against Covid-19 “is that you get vaccinated”, whether the product is modified for Omicron or not.
Source: BFM TV
