South Korean health authorities on Wednesday, gave approval to the country’s first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is meant for those above the age of 18 and is a new weapon in the country’s fight against the pandemic.
SK Bioscience’s two-dose SKYCovione vaccine was tested in clinical trials which saw more than 4000 people take part. It appeared to be more effective than the better-known AstraZeneca vaccine at building immunity.
There seems to be little clarity on how the authorities will administer the brand-new vaccine, or how effective the shots will be in the next phase of the pandemic. As the vaccine was designed for the original version of the Coronavirus, it remains to be seen how it will perform against the transmissible omicron variant. The Omicron variant had ravaged and devastated the country last year.
As experts opine that the virus could evolve again in the near future, U.S. vaccine powerhouses Pfizer and Moderna have been working overtime to develop booster shots specifically for Omicron. Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA shots are the main components of South Korea’s immunization drive.
Yet, South Korean health officials say that a protein-based vaccine like SKYCovione, which is markedly similar to vaccines used against the common flu and hepatitis B, could be a solution for those who don’t want vaccines created with more modern technology.
“The approval (of SKYCovione) internationally confirms the abilities of our companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines,” Food and Drug Safety Minister Oh Yu-kyoung said in a briefing. The minister added that SK Bioscience wants World Health Organization to approve its shots. With WHO approval, the vaccines could potentially be exported all over the world.
