The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that its expert panel on COVID vaccine composition is currently evaluating evidence on new variants of the virus to determine if vaccines need to be updated. In a commentary published in Nature Medicine journal, members of the WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC), an independent group of experts, noted that the vaccines are still offering a high level of protection against severe disease caused by all of the variants, including the omicron variant which is dominant globally.
The authors of the commentary wrote that the continuous and substantial evolution of SARS-CoV-2 since the virus emerged has posed challenges to the ongoing public health response, including ensuring that vaccines continue to provide protection. As the virus continues to spread by community transmission, further evolution is possible and the trajectory and timeline of virus evolution is uncertain.
The authors noted that the current approach to vaccine antigen composition may not be sustainable in the long term, given the length of time for vaccine development, the paucity of surveillance data globally and the regulatory requirements in different countries. Therefore, they encouraged vaccine development in the area of enhanced mucosal immunity, which may improve protection against infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
In order to address the challenges posed by the continuous evolution of SARS-CoV-2, the authors of the commentary suggested that there needs to be a shift from the traditional approach of designing vaccines. They argued that there is a need for more “agile” vaccine development processes, which would allow for more rapid changes to the vaccine composition in response to new variants.
The authors also highlighted the need for more research into the development of “universal” vaccines, which could provide protection against multiple variants of the virus. These vaccines could be used to provide protection to those who have not been vaccinated, or to those who have received a vaccine that is not effective against a particular variant.
In addition, the authors suggested that more research is needed into the development of “mixed-strain” vaccines, which could provide protection against multiple variants of the virus. These vaccines could be used to provide protection to those who have not been vaccinated, or to those who have received a vaccine that is not effective against a particular variant.
Finally, the authors emphasized the need for increased surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants, in order to identify new variants quickly and to monitor their spread. This would allow for the development of vaccines that are effective against the new variants, and could help to reduce the risk of disease transmission.
Overall, the authors of the commentary argued that there needs to be a shift from the traditional approach of designing vaccines, in order to effectively address the challenges posed by the continuous evolution of SARS-CoV-2. They suggested that more research is needed into the development of “universal” and “mixed-strain” vaccines, as well as increased surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants, in order to identify new variants quickly and to monitor their spread. These measures could help to ensure that vaccines continue to provide a high level of protection against severe disease caused by all of the variants of SARS-CoV-2.
