According to Reuters reports, the EU drug regulatory agency said on Thursday that it hopes to approve specific vaccines for novel coronavirus variants, such as Omicron, by September** Marco cavaleri, head of the European Drug Administration's (EMA) biological health threat and vaccine strategy, said: "our first priority is to ensure that specific vaccines may be approved by September at the latest in order to prepare for the launch of new immunization activities in the EU in the autumn."
"This will enable manufacturers to adjust their production lines accordingly," he said
The mRNA vaccine produced by Pfizer biontech and Moderna has made the fastest progress, and clinical trials are ongoing.
Cavaleri added that vaccine developers are studying whether vaccines targeting only one variant have an advantage over vaccines targeting two variants, noting that trial data are expected in the coming months.
Moderna is developing a potential next-generation booster against Omicron variant and the original strain of novel coronavirus, hoping to generate more extensive protection. The company expects to obtain the first test data in June.
At the same time, at the end of March, biontech and Pfizer expanded their initial test plan, that is, they gave priority to strengthening the needle only for Omicron, and also tested the vaccine against Omicron and the original strain of novel coronavirus.
According to cavaleri, about half of all EU citizens are fully vaccinated and fortified, while 15% of people over the age of 18 have not even received a dose of vaccine.