The first bivalent Covid-19 booster vaccination has been authorized in Switzerland, according to pharma authority Swissmedic’s announcement on Monday.
Anyone 18 years or older may get the Moderna Spikevax vaccination, which includes mRNA against two coronavirus types.
“A comprehensive examination of the application materials supplied on an ongoing basis revealed that the vaccine complies with the standards for safety, effectiveness, and quality. The Human Medicines Expert Committee (HMEC), an outside group, concurs with the Swissmedic specialists’ view. The recently approved vaccination is given as a single 0.5 ml dosage (50 micrograms). It has 25 micrograms of the original Spikevax mRNA-1273 and 25 micrograms of the Omicron variant mRNA (BA.1). Trials have demonstrated that this induces a greater immune response against the Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.4/5 than the original vaccination. According to a statement released by Swissmedic, “The protective impact of the bivalent vaccination against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus (Wuhan type) evaluated in the antibody concentration is equal to the effect of the original vaccine (Spikevax).”
In clinical studies, a booster dose of this bivalent vaccination produced greater antibody concentrations against the Omicron variants than a booster dose of Spikevax, Moderna’s original COVID-19 vaccine, with comparable adverse effects. According to the official vaccination guidelines being developed by the Federal Commission for Vaccination (FCV) and the Federal Office of Public Health, the booster vaccine will be administered (FOPH).
