WHO has recommended an Omicron-specific booster dose amid a surging wave of fresh infection due to highly mutated Covid variant in several countries including India, the UK, and the US. According to several media reports, this move has marked a significant shift in the thinking of the WHO which has suggested against the use of Covid boosters owing to the lack of a single jab in many low-income countries for healthcare workers.

The real policy recommendations by the WHO will be released once the safety and other associated data are acquired. On the other hand, Moderna, Pfizer, and others have brought out Omicron-specific boosters. Moderna representative stated that the bivalent booster developed by the company showed increased antibodies and was safe and well-tolerated. Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency has planned to roll out BioNTech / Pfizer variant-specific vaccine this week. 

A WHO representative stated that the Omicron-specific booster dose will provide a greater breadth to the vaccination drive, however, the third doses of existing vaccines should be used effectively. The representative also added that the relative benefit of the specific vaccine, when compared to their cost is unknown. Also, careful policies and thought processes should be applied to these specific vaccines so that people don’t think that these vaccines are superior to existing vaccines.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/who-likely-to-okay-use-of-omicron-specific-booster-report/92291778 )