(CTN News) – Even though the FDA’s number of Covid-19 cases in the United States remains low, vaccine scientists are already devising strategies to prevent a seasonal increase in the coming winter.
On Wednesday, a panel of experts who advise the Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended that the Covid vaccine scheduled for autumn be updated to target the highly contagious FDA JN.1 strain or one of its offspring.
In the United States, JN.1 appeared in late August and had become the most prevalent strain by January.
JN.1 was followed by the emergence of several offshoots, including KP.1.1 and KP.2, which are referred to as FLiRT variations. In mid-May, KP.2 became the predominant strain in the United States, surpassing JN.1, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FDA says over one in four new infections are caused by it.
Natalie Thornburg, a research microbiologist at the CDC, stated during the conference on Wednesday that the FDA Coronavirus appears to be following a predictable pattern. She stated that in the early winter, a dominant strain known as the “parent” strain gains ground, and by spring, a few progeny begin to appear. She observed that the XBB strain from the previous year exhibited the same behavior, dominating during the winter but generating offshoots in the spring.
The panel’s recommendation did not specify whether to include the “parent” JN.1 strain or one of its progeny, despite the fact that the majority of panel members expressed a preference for JN.1. Dr. Bruce Gellin, the chief of global public health strategy at the Rockefeller Foundation and a panel member, expressed his opinion that it would be more prudent to maintain the current course of action after the vote.
Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s chief vaccine regulator, advised the committee to consider one of the more recent strains, such as KP.2.
Marks referred to the rapidity with which new mRNA-based vaccination shots can be created and delivered, stating, “We are paying an incredibly high premium for mRNA vaccines to be able to have the freshest vaccines.” “Will we regret not having been a little bit closer?” he inquired.
FDA will soon determine which strain manufacturers should focus on.
This will initiate the development of the revised dosage, which will be distributed as part of the autumn vaccination program. Pfizer announced on Wednesday that it could distribute the enhanced Covid vaccines “immediately upon FDA approval,” while Moderna indicated that it could begin distributing the doses as early as mid-August.
Plans are currently in progress to introduce an enhanced vaccination that specifically targets JN.1 in August, according to Novavax. The business did specify that it will not have an updated vaccine available for that specific strain for the autumn immunization program if the FDA selects Novavax’s protein-based vaccine necessitates a lengthier manufacturing time than those of Pfizer and Moderna, which are based on mRNA.
According to data provided by all three drugmakers on Wednesday, the most recent vaccination, which targets the now-extinct subvariant XBB.1.5, is expected to produce a lower number of antibodies against circulating strains of the virus than the JN.1 vaccine. The older vaccine will be phased out upon the release of the upgraded version.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 remain at their lowest levels since the pandemic commenced in 2020, despite indications that the number of cases may be on the upward trend.
As of May 25, the weekly test positivity rate had increased from 3.4% to 4.2%, as indicated by CDC data. Conversely, the weekly test positivity rate was nearly 30% in early 2022, when the Omicron form began to rapidly disseminate.
Thornburg asserts that nearly everyone has acquired immunity to Covid-19 through vaccination, infection, or a combination of the two. She stated, “We are currently at a seroprevalence of approximately 95%,” which is the percentage of the population that has been exposed to a virus.
The CDC advisory council is expected to issue recommendations later this month regarding the vaccination’s eligibility for autumn administration.
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