Two new Covid vaccines could soon be available in Australia as major pharmaceutical companies submit applications to the TGA to provide protection against new variants of the virus.
The new vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna target the JN. 1 variant, which was first discovered in Australia in late 2023.
According to the latest Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report, JN. 1 is still the dominant variant in the country.
The JN. 1 variants, which also include the recent FLiRT mutation, are closely related to the KP. 2 and KP. 3, or FLuQE mutations. It is therefore expected that the new vaccines will be able to protect against both variants.
Pfizer’s application is intended for people 6 months and older, while Moderna’s vaccine is developed for people 12 years and older.
The new vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna target the JN. 1 variant, which was first discovered in Australia in late 2023.
Both vaccines are currently under evaluation by the TGA and approval is not guaranteed.
Infectious diseases doctor Paul Griffin told SBS the vaccines would be a “significant improvement” on what is currently available, as current vaccines are designed for older variants.
“While the virus has continued to change, that does not mean that these vaccines are not effective. It just means that with each iteration, the efficacy decreases to some extent in relative terms,” he said.
According to the Royal College of General Practitioners, the new variants do not appear to cause more severe disease symptoms than other variants, but are believed to be more contagious than previous variants of the virus.
From January 1 to August 11 this year, 205,830 cases of Covid-19 have been reported. The number of reported cases is stabilizing after a peak in infections in June.