Cayman is set to receive the newly-approved bivalent Moderna vaccine booster, which targets both the Omicron strain and the original COVID-19 virus.
Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Autilia Newton, speaking at Friday’s COVID press briefing, said the UK has said Cayman can have a supply of the new Moderna boosters with the next shipment of vaccines together with the Pfizer vaccines.
“Moderna will be recommended as a booster for the 18-upwards and we will probably target the over-50s and at-risk groups,” she said.
Last week, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the vaccine after it was found to meet the regulator’s standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
She did not say how many doses will be arriving when the new shipment is dispatched.
She explained that studies, which have just been concluded in the UK, do demonstrate that the bivalent Moderna vaccine, which targets the original strain plus the latest Omicron sub-variants, when used as a booster has a “slightly better effectiveness” in terms of protection from the severe disease.
Newton added that the original Pfizer and the AstraZeneca vaccines are both still effective.
“But the Moderna seems to have a bit of an advantage in that sense against this circulating Omicron variant. We are waiting for the next delivery of the vaccine from the UK government… we have just been told that we should be receiving some Moderna alongside the Pfizer,” she said.
Newton said Pfizer is still recommended as the primary vaccination for people taking their first and second doses.
UK reports have said that the new Moderna booster will be rolled out starting next month to 26 million people over 50.
Moderna, in a company announcement Monday, said it will supply 12 million doses to Canada.
A local report says the Canadian government had entered into a deal with Moderna last year for supply of its COVID-19 vaccine for 2022 and 2023.
Moderna and the Canadian government have now agreed to convert six million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the Omicron-targetting bivalent vaccine.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Moderna plans to request clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for the new booster.
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And in other news, much of the world still waiting on first doses.
That is not to nock CIG trying to get the latest for us. As a (future) recipient I’m thankful. (Thanks UK Gov.) Just noting that in the interest of news we need to remember that this is an issue fraught with global socioeconomic imbalance.