One step closer to renewal vaccine per mutation Omicron We, according to the Minister of Health, Thanos Pleuris.

According to Mr. Plyuris, pharmaceutical companies have submitted their documents and are in the process of approval. But what will be the philosophy of these vaccines and how they can affect its course coronavirus;

“The tests for vaccines against Omicron 1 and 2 are from Moderna, and for Omicron 4 and 5 from Pfizer,” says K, a professor in the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology at the EKPA Faculty of Medicine, Ghikas Mallorca and he emphasizes: “The schedule for when they come, however, is variable.”

When asked how these vaccines will work, given that by the time they get into our hands they will likely be “overtaken” by new mutations, Mr. Majorkinis notes the following:

“First of all, according to our estimates, they will give stronger immune responses. Their logic is similar to that of periodically updated flu vaccines.. Since we cannot predict what the next strain will be, we are using the strains that were most prevalent in the past year to prepare a vaccine. A new mutation will almost certainly come and supplant Omicron. But the same thing happens with the flu. In essence, the updated vaccines aim to further reduce the burden on the National Health Service.”

“Vulnerable populations and people over 60 should not stop at updated vaccines.»

On behalf of the Professor of Health Policy, School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Imperial College London, Elias Mosialoupdated vaccines are positive but targeted at this stage pandemic, in our country, in particular, it should be different.

As he says in a conversation with “K”: “Updated vaccines they will probably help us prevent a mild form of coronavirus. It’s good that they come. Here I must emphasize that existing vaccines continue to work in terms of preventing serious diseases. However, what should really interest us at this stage is that in Greece only 20% of people over 60 and people belonging to vulnerable groups of any age received the fourth dose. They should be at the center of all efforts and should be our No. 1 goal, as the chances of a bad outcome increase in the absence of this dose. People in intensive care units now show that“.

Mr. Mosialos even notes that the refusal to vaccinate these groups of citizens against 2ⁱⁿ booster dose pending updated vaccines.

“Updated vaccines will reduce the spread”

It is also interesting what the professor of pharmacology at the University of Crete said about this. Achilleas Gravanis.

He agrees with Mosialu’s point of view that the existing vaccines, despite their old age, give us what we essentially need, that is, they sufficiently protect the elderly and those who have concomitant health problems and are at risk. severe illness and loss of health. life.

“What has changed is that the new strains of Omicron, and especially those that are now prevalent, namely O4 and O5, evade immunity (natural from infection with previous strains and pharmacological from vaccination) much more easily,” he says himself and continues: “So, while existing vaccines protect us, as I said, from a dangerous severe infection, they allow us to develop a sufficient viral load on the basis of which we infect our neighbors, and thus the spread of the virus continues.”

“Currently, Moderna and Pfizer are testing vaccines against the Omicron O1.12 and later O4 and O5 strains, more likely to limit viral load from today’s new strains and in addition to protecting against severe infection reduce the spread of the virus in society.

»In America, these updated vaccines will be released earlier as the FDA decided to evaluate them in parallel with accelerated clinical trials currently underway. Thus, the updated vaccines in America are likely to hit the market in October, and the rest of the world will follow. In Greece, for more restraint, we can say that they will be with us in November and December..

In any case, according to the professor, people vaccinated with the third dose 6 to 8 months ago, especially those who belong to susceptible and vulnerable groups, should by no means wait for updated vaccines.

As he emphasizes: “They should be vaccinated immediately with the existing ones to protect themselves from severe infection and hospitalization from September.”

The Future of Vaccines

However, both Mr. Mosialos and Mr. Gravanis believe that the final answer on the “vaccination” will be given in 2023.

As Mr. Mosialos explains to us: “What can really change the very behavior of a pandemic is nasal vaccines, as well as multipotent vaccines that are designed to “catch” every new mutation.”

Mr. Gravanis told us about the philosophy of nasal vaccines. “They will be in the form of a spray and we will inhale them. These are vaccines with different immune functions and with the aim of “producing” immunity not only throughout the body, but also in the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, through which the virus penetrates and infects us. In essence, this means that these vaccines will produce immunoglobulins – type A protective antibodies that will not diffuse throughout the body, but develop in the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, encountering the virus at the entrances of infection (nose, mouth, eyes) and inactivating it before How does it enter the body?

Twelve of these nasal vaccines, each made with different technologies, are currently in clinical trials and being tested in humans, Mr. Gravanis said.

“A lot of money has been invested in this business, and the governments of large countries have already bought them in large quantities,” Mr. Gravanis tells us and adds:

“Personally, I would not be surprised if we have such in the next 8-10 months.. And it’s not really a new technology, because this type of vaccine is already on the market for other viral infections. We are talking about vaccines, which will largely slow down the spread and transmission of the virus. Given the specifics, we can now expect yearly vaccinations, as is currently the case with the flu.”