Updated vaccines for Omicron coming in fall

Updated vaccines targeting the Omicron subvariant of the coronavirus are expected in the United States in late September and in Greece by mid-fall, Theodora Psaltopoulou, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Athens, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).

She said that they will be optional and that vulnerable groups, especially the elderly and people with serious health problems, can benefit from the updated vaccinations. At the same time, the available antiviral drugs continue to be effective.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission is increasing in many countries, including Greece. The rapidly spreading Eris subvariant of the Omicron family is being closely monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO), while another new strain that has appeared in recent days in Israel and Denmark, BA.2.86, has also attracted the attention of experts.