The British Medicines Regulatory Agency has announced the approval of a new vaccine by US company Moderna against the mutated Omicron strain of the Corona virus, becoming the first country in the world to approve a vaccine against the original and mutated Omicron virus.

The agency said in a statement: “The decision to accept the vaccine was based on data from clinical trials, which showed that the vaccine provides a strong immune response against the original and mutant omicron BA.1 virus, and also creates a good immune response against the virus. Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 mutants are currently circulating.”

In turn, the agency’s CEO John Wren explained that “the first generation of coronavirus vaccines used in Britain continue to provide important protection against disease and save lives”, and added that “the new Moderna vaccine is a sharp tool in our arsenal to protect us from disease in the light of the mutations caused by the virus.”

The agency has approved the availability of the new vaccine as a booster dose to be given to adults next fall to give them better protection against the virus, and the groups that will receive the new vaccine have yet to be announced.

It is planned that all people over 50 years of age and groups most vulnerable to coronavirus infection in the UK will receive booster doses of antiviral vaccines starting next month.

The UK is one of the countries in the world hardest hit by the Corona virus as it has recorded over 200,000 deaths since the country’s outbreak began in March 2020.

Existing vaccines provide excellent immunity against the original version of the Corona virus that emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019, before a number of new virus mutations emerge.