The United Kingdom has become the first country to approve vaccine boosters designed to target the omicron variant of COVID-19, paving the way for Brits to receive their shots in early fall.
The Moderna shot approved in the U.K. is “bivalent,” meaning it’s a mix of two versions of the vaccine: Half is targeted at the original strain of COVID-19, and half is a new formulation designed to fight the original omicron variant, also known as BA.1.
“What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armory to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve,” Dr. June Raine, the head of the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, said in a statement.
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