In the midst of a debate about when is the ideal time to administer the fourth dose (second booster) of the vaccine against him coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the cause of covid-19, the Spanish company Hyper presents the results of the most recent scientific studies on its efficacy as a “heterologous booster”, that is, as a booster dose. You can follow the presentation here, starting at 10:30 a.m.:
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At an informative breakfast organized by the National Association of Health Informants (ANIS), the first to speak is Elia Torroella, director of R&D and Records at Hifra, the sixth largest animal health pharmacist in the world in terms of turnover. “The vaccines that we normally develop are highly complex and this motivated us to develop a vaccine against covid.” She emphasizes that the data obtained on its effectiveness is “very solid” and recalls that they are currently “waiting” to obtain authorization for its use by regulatory agencies.
Hipra’s 100% Spanish covid vaccine is bivalent and has shown a “very good neutralizing capacity against all the variants tested, including omicron BA.1“. In addition, the preliminary data show “good neutralization also against the BA.2, Ba.4 and BA.5“.
Although at first the trials began as a primary vaccination dose, given that the pandemic has advanced and the variants have appeared very quickly, Torroella explains that trials were subsequently started to observe the increase in neutralizing antibodies against the new variants and study their efficacy as a booster dose.
Between the Adverse effects seen in trials, Hipra’s directive cites “injection site pain, headache, some tiredness, and, in fewer people, some discomfort that subsides within two to three days.” The specialist considers that this “is an important point because we know that there is a certain fatigue in the population when it comes to receiving booster doses.”
Torroella explains that it is “a vaccine that prevents infection in many cases, but not in others. In all the trials we have had covid cases “, he acknowledges, while insisting that it effectively protects against serious illness and death, like existing vaccines.
Regarding the deadlines, the Hipra board indicates that “we expected the authorization for May-June and this has not been the case. It is expected to be part of the vaccination plans in the fall of 2022we are working for the EMA have all the data you have asked us for and that you can start using it”.
The expiration date is 24 months and it can be kept refrigerated at between 2ºC and 8ºC, which facilitates logistics. Torroella advances that “work is being done so that the vials are presented in single-dose by the first quarter of 2023”, which will facilitate management in the vaccination centers, and that duration of immunity “is longer” than messenger RNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna), which may allow further spacing of booster doses.
In response to questions from the journalists present, Cámara explains that it cannot reveal more details about the purchase requests from other European countries for reasons of confidentiality, but affirms that the negotiations are “very advanced” and that “there are many European countries that support keep this project going. Regarding its price, he assures that “it is much cheaper than messenger RNA vaccines and, regarding the level of production, he asserts that “there will be no problem” since the company has the capacity to respond to demand.
Petition to the Vaccines Conference
In the assembly hall of the Madrid Press Association (APM), where this presentation is being held, there is also Carmen Cámara, secretary of the Spanish Society of Immunology (SEI) and clinical immunologist of La Paz University Hospital in Madrid. His speech begins by highlighting the role of the heterologous patterns (mixed) vaccination, widely used for other diseases and with good results, for example it is already done against ebola.
Chamber has influenced that the SEI “not in favor of a fourth dose for the general population“, but only for people who are immunocompromised and at high risk for the coronavirus. In this sense, he added that immunologists hope that the Vaccine Conference, the Ministry’s body in charge of designing the vaccination strategy, accepts the heterologous guideline to administer the fourth dose.
The doctor has also shown her optimism and trusts that many of the few people who remain in Spain without being vaccinated “will be encouraged” to do so with this new serum ‘made in Spain’.
For his part, Ángel Gil de Miguel, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC), has highlighted the advantages that the Hipra vaccine can be stored at temperatures between two and eight degrees. Likewise, he has stated that, given the aging of the Spanish population, we are going to a scenario in which annual vaccinations are going to be part of our daily lives.
Finally, Borja Cabezón, ambassador on a special mission for the international crisis, has participated COVID-19 and Global Health of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. “The strategic objective of this country has always been to protect the population and that included vaccinating. The level of vaccination in Spain [un 86% de la población general, según los datos del Ministerio] It is a complete success compared to other countries. We are the second largest donor of vaccines in Latin America and the sixth or seventh in the world”, he highlighted.
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