A new covid vaccine has been approved for use in the UK. The vaccine is manufactured by Valneva, a global biotechnology company that has a factory in Scotland.
The UK's medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency is the first of its kind in the world to approve the vaccine, which is based on "more traditional" technologies than some of the covid vaccines already in use. However, it appears unlikely the jab will be rolled out in significant numbers here after the government last year cancelled its order of 100 million doses, citing a "breach of obligations".
Nevertheless, another approved vaccine to fight the pandemic can only be a good thing, for the UK and the world. And Bristol played a part in its development, too.
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Our city was one of four - along with Birmingham, Newcastle, and Southampton - that trialled the jab back in December 2020, with University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust testing it on volunteers here in the South West. In addition, Professor Adam Finn, a paediatrician at the University of Bristol's medical school, was the chief investigator of the study.
He said at the time: "We are really pleased to be initiating this first-in-man phase one study in Bristol and continuing it in several other centres across the country in the New Year." In a tweet today he said the approval was a "step forward" but he noted that the Government's plans to purchase it were "dropped" last September.
What type of vaccine is Valneva?
The Valneva vaccine uses an older form of technology than the Pfizer or Moderna ones you may have already received. It's a whole-virus inactivated vaccine, which involves growing the Sars-Cov2 virus that causes covid-19 in a lab, then deactivating it so it cannot infect any cells or replicate, but can still trigger an immune response.
This is the same kind of technology already used in flu and polio vaccines, but different from the other covid vaccines currently in use. Pfizer and Moderna, for example, contain Sars-Cov2 mRNA, which makes our body to generate the virus's spike protein, which then trains our body's immune system.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab uses another, harmless virus to achieve a similar outcome. For more information on the technologies used in covid vaccines, check out this handy explainer from the British Society for Immunology.
How many doses of Valneva do you need?
Two doses are required "before a robust antibody response is raised", according to the MHRA. That means "protection will only start after two doses".
How effective and safe is it?
Valneva's checks, along with those carried out by the MHRA, have found it meets the UK's "safety, quality and effectiveness standards". The phase three trials, for example, found it produces significantly higher concentrations of antibodies than the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, while fewer people reported side-effects. No serious adverse effects were reported in that phase.
How easy is it to administer?
Like the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and unlike some others, the Valneva vaccine only needs to be stored at regular fridge temperature: between 2°C to 8°C. That makes it a great tool to distribute in locations where industrial or specialist fridges and freezers are impractical.
What do the experts say?
Dr June Raine, the chief executive of the MHRA, said: "Our approval of the covid-19 vaccine made by Valneva today follows a rigorous review of the safety, quality and effectiveness of this vaccine, and expert advice from the government’s independent scientific advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines."
Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, chair of the independent Commission on Human Medicines, said: "The independent Commission on Human Medicines and its covid-19 expert working group has carefully considered the available evidence are pleased to say that we have advised that the benefit-risk balance is positive. The vaccine is approved for use in people aged 18 to 50 years, with the first and second doses to be taken at least 28 days apart."
