Covid-19 vaccines will be updated to keep up with new variants

According to the new rules, immunizers must be monovalent, that is, targeted at a single lineage of the virus, and preferably contain the LP.8.1 variant. Antigens derived from the JN.1 strain, such as XFG and NB.1.8.1, may also be used, as long as they demonstrate the ability to neutralize the variants in circulation.

The standard also establishes a transition period. Vaccines produced and registered before the update, as well as batches already distributed, can be applied for up to nine months after approval of the new formulations by Anvisa. After this period, its use will be prohibited, unless expressly stated by the agency.

Why does the vaccine need to be updated?

Renato Kfouri, vice-president of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm), explains that the coronavirus constantly mutates, just like the flu virus. Therefore, the more similar the variant used in the vaccine formulation is to the one currently circulating, the greater the protection offered by the vaccine tends to be.

According to Kfouri, both LP.8.1 and JN.1, XFG and NB.1.8.1 are subvariants of Ômicron. They were identified through genomic sequencing and represent the lineages currently in circulation.

As new variants tend to replace previous ones over time, periodic updating of vaccines is necessary. But this does not mean that current vaccines no longer work. Vaccines continue to protect mainly against severe cases of the disease, highlights Kfouri. The objective of the update is to further increase effectiveness against recent variants and maintain the best possible match between the vaccine and the virus in circulation.

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