On Wednesday, an additional weapon in the arsenal against a protracted pandemic was licensed for use by adults 18 years of age and older by a South Korean health authority.
The commonly used AstraZeneca injections were found to be less efficient than SK Bioscience’s two-dose SKYCovione vaccination in boosting immunity against illnesses, according to South Korea’s Food and Drug Safety Ministry.
As of now, it is unclear how the newly developed vaccine will be administered or how much of a role the shots will play in the coming phase of the pandemic. The shots were designed to combat the original Coronavirus, not the more transmissible Omicron variant that ravaged the country earlier this year. In recent months, Pfizer and Moderna have been working on booster shots targeting omicron, but experts warn the virus could mutate again soon.
Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA shots have been a significant component of South Korea’s mass immunization campaign. However, officials say protein vaccines, such as SKYCovione, similar to shots widely used for years against the common flu and hepatitis B, may appeal to people who are hesitant to use newer vaccines.
According to Food and Drug Safety Minister Oh Yu-kyoung, the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine by SKYCovione confirms the capability of our companies to develop such vaccines. As part of its efforts to export its shots, SK Bioscience is seeking approval from the World Health Organization.
