South Korea’s first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine has shown that it is effective against omicron sub-variants when used as a booster shot.
 
The Center for Infectious Disease Research under the National Institute of Health(NIH) said on Friday it confirmed that SKYCovione, developed by SK Bioscience, is effective in neutralizing the BA.1 and BA.5 omicron strains when administered after two rounds of vaccination.
 
Currently, the vaccine will be available only to adults aged 18 or older who have yet to receive their first jabs.
 
The government said it is considering allowing the use of the vaccine as a booster shot within this month.
 
As SKYCovione was developed as a traditional recombinant protein vaccine, it has a longer track of safety records than mRNA vaccines that use new technology.
 
Earlier in the day, SK Bioscience held a ceremony celebrating the first release of its vaccine at its plant in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province.

The South Korean government has put in an order for ten million doses of the vaccine.