Roll Up, Roll Up, for the Magical Covid Omicron Jab! By Brian Simpson

Are you losing track of all the jabs the faithful must take? I sure am. And now there is another one, Moderna’s bivalent Covid vaccine, which will target the Omicron version. Well, sorry to break the bad news, but probably most people have had one variant of Omicron or another by now, so this will strictly be for the dedicated, who will jab up anyway.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11162445/Moderna-Covid-booster-targeting-Omicron-variant-approved-Therapeutic-Goods-Administration.html?ito=push-notification&ci=RZe4KrTQ3c&cri=YvYVZflRBM&si=mIsznWj1izHY&xi=77d91f20-cee4-482e-a65e-d6b2045f841f&ai=11162445

“Australia's medical regulator has given the green light for a Covid vaccine that will target the Omicron variant.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has granted provisional approval to Moderna's bivalent Covid vaccine, the first of its type in Australia.

The bivalent vaccine - a vaccine that stimulates an immune response against two different viruses - will fight both the original Covid variant and the Omicron strain.

The vaccine has been approved for use as a booster among those over 18 and to be given at least three months after the initial two doses or a previous booster.

Final approval for the new vaccine will still need to be granted by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.

It comes as Australia's leading scientific organisation called for a boost to virus research and vaccine manufacturing capabilities in a bid to future-proof the country from pandemics.

The CSIRO report said diseases such as Covid that crossover from animals to people - zoonotic viruses - are the likeliest cause of future pandemics.

As deadly breakouts become more common, coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2, which caused Covid-­19, will remain among the greatest dangers to humans. 

It outlined 20 recommendations for what Australia will need to do to strengthen pandemic preparedness, following on from the experiences of Covid.

The recommendations included improving research into five virus families that have the greatest potential to become future pandemics.

Scientists also identified a need to diversify the types of vaccines made in Australia to be better prepared.

'The absence of manufacturing capabilities across diverse vaccine technologies reduces Australia's capability to produce vaccines onshore for an emergent viral threat,' the report said.”