EU Commission okays updated COVID-19 vaccine

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – The European Commission on Friday gave the green light for the latest version of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, in time for the autumn and winter season immunization campaigns.

The EU executive body announced in a statement that it has authorized “the Comirnaty XBB.1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine, developed by BioNTech-Pfizer” to allow EU member states to get ready "in time for their autumn-winter vaccination campaigns.”

“COVID-19 will circulate in parallel to seasonal influenza during the upcoming autumn and winter season,” EU Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides warned.

The updated jab “will target emerging and spreading variants” of the virus, she stressed, calling on all EU citizens to get vaccinated.

The jab is the third adaptation of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine that responds to the newest variants of the disease.

According to the recommendation of the European Medicines Agency, adults and children over the age of five should receive one dose regardless of their vaccination history.