A ‘next generation’ coronavirus booster jab – which would only need administering once a year – has been approved for use in adults.

The UK is first to adopt the new method.

Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer at Moderna, described it as a ‘next generation Covid-19 vaccine’ which will play an ‘important role in protecting people in the UK from Covid-19’ over the winter.

The vaccination targets the original Covid strain and the Omicron variant, the latter of which spread rapidly last winter.

Known as mRNA-1273.214, the new jab is an updated version of the Moderna vaccine which is already in use for first, second and booster doses.

It will be the first dose approved in the UK which targets two strains of the virus.

The Moderna jab was given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The MHRA said that the vaccine’s side effects are the same as those seen in the original Moderna booster dose and were typically mild.

Its chief executive, Dr June Raine, described the new booster as ‘a sharpened tool in our armoury’ to protect the UK against Covid-19.

She said: ‘I am pleased to announce the approval of the Moderna bivalent booster vaccine, which was found in the clinical trial to provide a strong immune response against the Omicron BA.1 variant as well as the original 2020 strain.

‘The first generation of Covid-19 vaccines being used in the UK continue to provide important protection against the disease and save lives.

‘What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve.

‘We have in place a comprehensive safety surveillance strategy for monitoring the safety of all UK-approved Covid-19 vaccines and this will include the vaccine approved today.’

Coronavirus vaccines have prevented up to 20 million deaths in their first year of use, experts say.

The new vaccine was found to meet the UK regulator’s standards of safety, quality and effectiveness before it was approved.

Moderna said it has also completed its applications for regulatory approval of the new booster to be used in Australia, Canada, and the EU.

In December, the Omicron strain had been doubling every two days and had infected up to 400,000 people per day in the lead-up to Christmas.

It even hit New Zealand; which by last winter had stood fast in the face of covid due to tight border controls.

But it cracked after the Omicron variant fuelled tens of thousands of cases for the first time at the start of 2022.

The country only re-opened its borders last week.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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