Yep, you read that right.

In Covid news today, the UK has become the first country in the world to approve a new Covid vaccine specifically designed to target the Omicron strain of the virus.

Ministers greenlit the jab, which is called “Spikevax.”

Moderna – the company that has developed the new vaccine – shares its hopes that around 13 million doses can be provided in time for Autumn when ministers plan to roll out the next booster campaign.

That said, they have cautioned the public not to get set on one specific type, as you’ll be injected with whatever jab they have available on the day. After all, they have all been developed and approved with the same goal in mind – to protect you against the virus.

Some fun facts for you: The new vaccine is bivalent, which essentially means that it’s multifaceted and can do two jobs at the same time. It both targets the original Covid-19 virus but also the many new strains and mutations of it, too.

Speaking to the BBC, a representative from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Dr June Raine, stressed that the drug has indeed been vetted, tested on 473 people so far, and wouldn’t have been approved by UK regulatory bodies without thorough testing.

“What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve,” she said.

If you’re at all worried about the vaccine and your fertility or how long the vaccine side effects last, we’ve asked some of the best experts in the business to explain why you don’t need to be. Haven’t had Covid yet and wondering why? Our guide might help.

When tested, results showed that Spikevax is effective at offering immune protection from the newer variants – more so than other vaccines.

Wondering whether you may be eligible for a Spikevax vaccine? Good question – and one that, as of yet, we don’t have an answer to. The relevant regulatory boards will decide who is most eligible for the vaccines and distribute them accordingly.

Whatever vaccine you get – here’s to protecting ourselves and others.

The post Apparently there’s a new Covid vaccine designed to specifically target Omicron appeared first on Marie Claire.