As the new Covid-19 variant EG.5 nicknamed ‘Eris’ is on everyone’s lips, a topic that comes up regularly is the question of vaccines.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said the new strain is a ‘variant of interest’ and is likely to cause a spike in infections. However, WHO assured it is unlikely that it will be severe and It has not raised any alarms as yet.
The first case of the new Covid-19 variant was confirmed in South Africa earlier this week. This prompted the Department of Health to reiterate its call for people to get vaccinated.
But is there a new vaccine for the variant?
While there isn’t a new vaccine, Moderna said initial study data showed its updated Covid-19 vaccine is effective against the "Eris" and "Fornax" sub-variants in humans.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Pfizer reported that its updated Covid-19 shot, that was co-developed with BioNTech, showed neutralising activity against the Eris sub-variant in a study conducted on mice.
The main symptoms of this sub-variant are similar to that of previous Omicron symptoms. These include, but are not limited to, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, with or without phlegm, headache, hoarse voice, muscle aches and an altered sense of smell.
IOL