The Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Joint Committee on Vaccination (JCVI) has advised its use for the autumn booster campaign.

Research indicates that the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine produces a marginally higher immune response against some variants than the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA Original ‘wild-type’ vaccine.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of COVID-19 immunisation on the JCVI, said: "It is very encouraging that more vaccines continue to become available and we now have another option to add to the vaccines already advised for the autumn booster campaign.

"Winter is typically the time of greatest threat from respiratory infections. We strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to have their booster vaccine this autumn when it is offered. This is our best defence against becoming severely ill from COVID-19."

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