Bivalent Covid-19 vaccines gaining traction in the West

Vaccines that target both the original SARS-CoV-2 viral strain and the Omicron variant are rapidly being approved by health authorities around the world. — AFP

France became the latest country on Sept 20 (2022) to authorise new Covid-19 vaccines that have been updated to target the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron viral subvariants ahead of the autumn booster campaign.

Here's what you need to know about these "bivalent" vaccines, which means they also still target the original strain that emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019.