(VOVWORLD) - The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Wednesday requested that developers determine if their COVID-19 vaccines protect against new virus mutations that have been identified in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil.
 (Photo: PAP/VNA) |
EMA said it is developing guidance for manufacturers planning changes to the existing COVID-19 vaccines to tackle the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus variants.
There are concerns that some of these mutations could impact to different degrees the ability of the vaccines to protect against infection and disease.
A reduction in protection from mild disease would however not necessarily translate into a reduction in protection from serious forms of the disease and its complications, for which more evidence is needed, it said.
EMA has authorised three vaccines for use in the EU: Comirnaty, COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna, and COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.