Pfizer asks EU drug regulator to approve tweaked Covid vaccine

London: Pfizer and BioNTech have asked the European Medicines Agency to authorise their updated Coronavirus booster vaccine that includes the most recent Omicron sub-variants.

In a statement on Friday, Pfizer said it is requesting that the EU drug regulator OK its combination Covid vaccine that targets the original coronavirus and BA.4 and BA.5, the latest versions of Omicron, which are causing the vast majority of infections globally now. Pfizer and BioNTech are asking that the vaccine be given the green light for people aged 12 and over. The European Medicines Agency is currently reviewing whether to clear updated versions of vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer that target the sub-variant BA.1, an earlier version of the virus that has since been overtaken by BA.4 and BA.5; that decision is expected next week. If both of Pfizer's updated boosters are authorised, the company said its adapted vaccines would be available in Europe as early as September. Last week, the UK cleared Moderna's updated Covid booster targeting the BA.1 version of Omicron and said it would be included in the country's vaccination campaign for people aged 50 and above.