The fight against Covid goes on as a new epidemic wave lurks over the country this Fall… The Haute Autorité de Santé – the French Health Authority – announced in a release this Tuesday September 20, 2022, they approved the issuance in the country of three “bivalent” vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, adapted to effectively fight against the latest strain of the spreading virus (Omicron variant), resisting to the first vaccines more. An HAS approval coming after the vaccines were approved by the EMA – the European Medicines Agency.
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“Based on data available and in an epidemic context marked by the main circulation of subvariant BA.5”, the HAS recommend to use “one of the three bivalent vaccines indifferently”, all using the messenger RNA technology to proceed to booster shots this Fall. A booster can be given first to people at risk, likely to develop severe disease, and their entourage in the event of immunosuppressed people. It also applies to caregivers.
“Like vaccines against seasonal flue – updated every year as they take into account the viruses the most likely to spread over the winter – the ambivalent messenger RNA vaccines are not novel vaccines, but vaccines specific to circulating strains”, the HAS explains in the release. Vaccines targeting the original strain and the BA.1 variant, as well as subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
Note this booster shot can be given in addition to the flu vaccine for people needing it. The vaccination campaign starts on October 18.
