India likely to get Omicron-specific vaccine by year-end, says SII chief

The Serum Institute of India (SII) is currently working on an Omicron-specific vaccine, which is expected to be launched by the end of the year, said CEO Adar Poonawalla said on Monday.

Serum Institute is working with Novavax to bring the Omicron-specific vaccine, as India continues to record a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases. The new vaccine will be "specific to the BA5 sub-variant of Omicron, for which the UK has approved an updated Moderna vaccine. The bivalent vaccine targets the Omicron variant as well as the original form," NDTV reported.

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Poonawalla said that Omicron-specific vaccine is going to be equally important as a booster dose, given that Omicron is 'not mild' and presents itself like a serious flu. "It is important for India to boost with an Omicron-specific vaccine", he added.

Emerged in late 2021, the Omicron sub-variant of the coronavirus had a faster transmission rate and was declared as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation. It, however, is less severe as compared to the Delta variant.

According to a report published in Economic Times, the UK drug regulator, on Monday said that it has approved an updated Moderna vaccine, which works against the Omicron sub-variant of the Coronavirus, as well as against the original form.

In a statement, the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said, it had approved the vaccine for adult booster doses "after it was found to meet the regulator's standards of safety, quality and effectiveness" and to prompt a "strong immune response" against both strains.