International – COVID-19 vaccine strain updates: Global regulators agree on timing and data requirements

International regulators have published a report today presenting the outcomes of a workshop on COVID-19 vaccine strain updates that was organised by the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Currently authorised vaccines, particularly those that have already gone through adaptation of the composition, continue to be effective at preventing hospitalisation, severe disease and death due to COVID-19. However, protection wanes over time and as new SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge. For this reason, update of vaccine composition has to be considered on a regular basis. Meeting participants stressed that international convergence on the process and timing of COVID-19 vaccine strain updates are therefore critical in view of the continuous evolution of SARS-CoV-2…