The fast-spreading BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron are estimated to make up a combined 52% of the coronavirus cases in the United States as of June 25, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday.
Tag Archive for: Omicron subvariants
COVID-19 vaccines this fall are likely to be based on the Omicron variant of the coronavirus rather than the original strain, although some experts suggest they may only offer significant benefits for older and immunocompromised people.
Moderna Inc. said on Wednesday that an updated version of its COVID-19 vaccine designed to target the Omicron variant also generated a strong immune response against the fast-spreading Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which have gained a foothold in the U.S. in recent weeks.
COVID-19 vaccines that specifically target the Omicron and other variants are under development, Pfizer Inc.’s chief executive said on Wednesday, adding that the company will be able to quickly adapt shots as the novel coronavirus mutates.
People infected with the earliest version of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, first identified in South Africa in November, may be vulnerable to reinfection with later versions of Omicron even if they have been vaccinated and boosted, new findings suggest.
On Friday, the World Trade Organization approved vaccine patent waivers to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income countries.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) started a rolling review on Friday of a variant-adapted COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna, as coronavirus cases linked to Omicron sub-variants see an uptick in the region.
People who were infected with an earlier version of the coronavirus and received three doses of an mRNA vaccine – such as the Pfizer/BioNTech shot – appear to be best protected against symptomatic infection by the Omicron variant, according to a large study. Additionally, COVID-19-related neurological symptoms – such as memory and concentration issues – can last half a year or more in some patients, according to a small study.
The BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron are estimated to make up about 8.3 percent and 13.3 percent of the coronavirus variants in the United States as of June 11, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday.
