European Medicines Agency recommends omicron-adapted Pfizer and Moderna vaccines

All Europeans aged 12 and over who have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 should be allowed to use new Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech) and Spikevax (Moderna) vaccine options. They are omicron-adapted and also work against the frequent BA.1 subspecies. Otherwise, they work just like the original versions.

The European Medical Agency has tested these vaccine variations. They do trigger an effective response to omicron in the body. Side effects also haven’t changed compared to the original vaccine. The agency recommends new vaccines for use.

The EMA confirmed that pluralism is now the basis of the EU’s anti-viral strategy. COVID is constantly evolving. The countries of the bloc need to have a wide range of vaccine options on hand to deal with the potential crisis spectrum.

The agency has also said the original Pfizer and Moderna vaccines still protect against the virus as well.

Now the EMA will send its data on and recommendations to the European Commission. And it will make the final decision on the new vaccine use in the bloc.