Japan to roll out Omicron-targeted COVID vaccine as early as Oct.

The Japanese government plans to roll out a new type of COVID-19 vaccine considered effective for the Omicron variant as early as October, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.The so-called bivalent vaccine combines ingredients used for existing COVID-19 shots and those derived from the BA.1 subtype of the Omicron variant, and is expected to curb the spread of the BA.5 subvariant currently prevalent across the country.The new vaccine is under development by U.S. pharmaceutical companies Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. Their products were found to increase neutralizing antibodies agains…READ FULL ARTICLE