Hong Kong – Government health advisers in Hong Kong divided if the country should buy BioNTech’s Omicron-targeted coronavirus booster shot, as some said it was more effective than the first-generation jabs, while others claimed the purchase would be a waste of resources. This came amid Hong Kong recording first Omicron XBB.1 subvariant that came from outside. Health officials dismissed any …
MAINZ — Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced they have completed a submission to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for a 10-µg booster dose of the companies’ Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age. This application for a variation of the marketing authorization (MA) to include the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine in this …
New York – Omicron sub-variants evades antibody responses from Covid vaccines but a new lab study suggests that the current booster doses can be effective. University of Washington researchers saw the functional impact of mutations in Omicron sub-variants. They used Moderna, Pfizer, Novavax, Janssen, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, and Sputnik V vaccines. All two-dose vaccines, except for Janssen’s single dose vaccine were …
Ottawa – The Covid-19 pandemic continues to create stress and anxiety for many Canadians, particularly those who do not have ready access to their regular support networks. Through the Wellness Together Canada online portal, people of all ages across the country can access immediate, free and confidential mental health and substance use supports, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. PocketWell, …
CAMBRIDGE – Moderna, Inc. has announced new clinical data on its bivalent (Omicron) COVID booster candidate, mRNA-1273.214. One month after administration in previously vaccinated and boosted participants, a 50 µg booster dose of mRNA-1273.214 elicited potent neutralizing antibody responses against the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in all participants regardless of prior infection. Based on this and prior data, the …
Washington – Moderna is set to offer updated Covid-19 boosters in the fall that combine its original vaccine with protection against the Omicron variant. Before Omicron, Moderna was studying a combination shot for protection against an earlier variant named Beta. Moderna is now saying people given that Beta-original vaccine combination produced more antibodies capable of fighting several variants including Omicron than …
DC – Covid-19 vaccination continues to help protect adults against severe illness with Covid-19 , including hospitalizations and death, according to two reports released in today’s MMWR. During Omicron, Covid-19 -associated hospitalization rates increased for all adults, regardless of vaccination status, but rates were 12 times higher among adults who were unvaccinated compared to adults who received a booster or …
Washington – A new study, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine has found those who have been vaccinated or exposed to infection have some level of protection against Omicron, because the mutations are not found in the parts of the virus that incite a cellular immune response.
Moscow – The Omicron strain of the Covid-19 may lead to neurological complications much like other Covid variants, according to the Russian expert, founder and chief executive of DNKOM research center Andrey Isaev. He added Omicron can lead to long Covid in adults and systemic inflammations among children, TASS news agency reported.
Beijing – Chinese researchers have developed a new type of antibody that could neutralise Omicron and future Covid variants. The new antibody has been synthesised from components of two different antibodies produced by human immune cells.
