The Macau Health Bureau (SSM) announced in a statement yesterday that it has purchased BioNTech mRNA bivalent vaccines that provide antibody protection against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, in addition to antibody protection against the original COVID-19 strain.

According to the statement, the new bivalent vaccine will only be used for the administration of COVID-19 booster jabs in Macau, meaning that it will not be used for the administration of the first two jabs that provide basic full immunity.

The statement said that the new bivalent vaccine aims to enable Macau to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic that is currently driven by the Omicron variant.

Currently, the Macau government’s COVID-19 booster vaccination programme covers all those aged 18 or over who have been fully inoculated with inactivated vaccines or mRNA vaccines. 

However, those aged 12 or over who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are also covered by Macau’s COVID-19 booster vaccination programme.

Both types of COVID-19 vaccines currently available in Macau, China’s Sinopharm inactivated vaccine and Germany’s BioNTech mRNA vaccine, are two-dose vaccines, i.e., requiring two jabs to develop basic full immunity.

Yesterday’s statement also reaffirmed that the Macau government has purchased BioNTech mRNA jabs for children aged from six months to four years.

The statement noted that the BioNTech mRNA vaccine for kids aged from six months to four years is a monovalent vaccine (aka univalent) that only contains components for the original COVID-19 strain.

According to the statement, the German manufacturer has now told the Macau government that it expects to deliver its mRNA bivalent jabs, and its mRNA jabs for children aged from six months to four years, to Macau before the end of this month.

The statement said that the Health Bureau will commence administrating the two types of new jabs after they have been delivered to Macau. 

This undated photo taken from the website of the European Commission (EC) yesterday shows a BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 dose.