CDC endorses updated COVID boosters, shots to begin soon

[BumRushDaShow]

39. Had to do a quick search and JCVI appears to be the equivalent to CDC's ACIP

and they issued this guidance via a press release -

Press release
JCVI publishes advice on COVID-19 vaccines for autumn booster programme

All of the available boosters provide good protection against severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19).

From: UK Health Security Agency
Published 15 August 2022


The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has published its advice on which vaccines should be used in this year’s autumn booster programme.

All of the available boosters provide good protection against severe illness from COVID-19 and the Committee has emphasised that getting a booster in good time before the winter season is more important for those eligible than the type of vaccine that is received.

The vaccines advised for use in the autumn booster programme are:

For adults aged 18 years and above:

Moderna mRNA (Spikevax) bivalent Omicron BA.1/Original ‘wild-type’ vaccine

Moderna mRNA (Spikevax) Original ‘wild-type’ vaccine

Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty) Original ‘wild-type’ vaccine
in exceptional circumstances, the Novavax Matrix-M adjuvanted wild-type vaccine (Nuvaxovid) may be used when no alternative clinically suitable UK-approved COVID-19 vaccine is available

For people aged 12 to 17 years:

Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty) Original ‘wild-type’ vaccine

For people aged 5 to 11 years:

Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty) Original ‘wild-type’ vaccine paediatric formulation

‘Bivalent’ vaccines have been developed by global manufacturers since the emergence and dominance of the Omicron variant. These vaccines contain two different antigens (substances that induce an immune response) based on two different COVID-19 strains, or variants. The original mRNA vaccines contain one antigen (monovalent), based on the original ‘wild-type’ strain.

Studies indicate the Moderna bivalent vaccine produces a marginally higher immune response against some variants than the Moderna mRNA Original ‘wild-type’ vaccine. The clinical relevance of these small differences is uncertain.

The committee will consider further bivalent vaccines for use in the programme as they are approved by the MHRA.

In its latest advice the JCVI has stated that, where feasible, it would be preferable for a single type of booster vaccine to be offered throughout the duration of the autumn programme for simplicity of deployment.

(snip)

More: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jcvi-publishes-advice-on-covid-19-vaccines-for-autumn-booster-programme

^^^mention of the Moderna bivalent bolded above

Their "further consideration" mention is probably regarding Pfizer's bivalent and whenever that gets approved there.

Of course how soon they get to the Chemists' is another issue.