In the fight against the coronavirus, almost 300,000 doses of the bivalent Moderna vaccine are now available in Austria, which also targets the omicron variant BA.1. It is a modified version of the original Spikevax vaccine. According to the Ministry of Health, the first deliveries of the modified vaccine to the vaccination centers in the states started on Thursday.
Exactly 292,000 doses of the latest Moderna vaccine have arrived in Austria in recent days. Another 1.4 million doses are expected by the end of the month. Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) took this opportunity to call for the completion of vaccination protection against Covid-19. “If you have not yet completed the basic vaccination, take advantage of the extensive range. Booster vaccinations are then necessary for optimal, lasting protection,” Rauch told the population.
Vaccination is “one of the most important measures for us to get through the autumn and winter well”. With the new vaccines, additional funds would be available to protect the population from severe Covid disease. “Get your booster vaccination in the coming weeks and protect yourself optimally,” says Rauch.
BA.1 hardly detected anymore
According to the most recent variant report from the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), BA.1 should have de facto no longer contributed to the infection process in calendar week 35 (29 August to 4 September). BA.1 was detected seven times in 29,600 cases, while BA.4/BA.5 was detected 6097 times.
Don’t wait to vaccinate
Apart from that, clinical pharmacologist Markus Zeitlinger advises not to vaccinate until the availability of BA.4/BA.5 vaccine variants. The difference between the original vaccine and the versions adapted to BA.1 is not very big. If you had a titer of 500 before the booster it was 5000 afterwards, with the vaccine adjusted to BA.1 it was 7500 after vaccination. The modified vaccine against BA.4./BA.5 should work even better,” but it won’t be a big difference,” Zeitlinger suspects.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
