The European Medicines Agency on Tuesday recommended updating Covid-19 vaccines for the 2024/2025 vaccination campaign to protect against the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, JN.1.
The recommendation was made by the Emergency Working Group (ETF) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) after consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO), international partners and holders of market authorizations for Covid-19 medicines.
The working group also reviewed “a wide range of evidence, including data on virus evolution and data from animal studies on the effects of vaccine candidates targeting JN.1,” the EMA said in a statement.
Evidence suggests that targeting JN.1 will help maintain vaccine effectiveness as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve.
“JN.1 is distinct from the XBB family, which was targeted by previous updated vaccines, and has now surpassed the XBB variants to become the most circulating variant worldwide,” he highlights.
Marketing authorization holders must now contact the EMA to discuss marketing authorization updates for their vaccines.
“All marketing authorization holders are expected to update the composition of their authorized vaccines in accordance with this recommendation,” the EMA emphasizes.
Companies currently developing new COVID-19 vaccines that do not target JN.1 are also encouraged to contact the EMA to discuss strategies for reformulating their vaccines.
EU national authorities will ultimately decide on vaccination campaigns for 2024 and 2025 taking into account the situation in their own country.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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