Covid Qld: Experts push for ‘broader vaccines’ as new Omicron sub variants set to hit Queensland

Experts have raised the alarm over new Omicron sub variants that are sweeping through countries overseas, saying they could soon become a problem for Queensland.

New sub variants appearing overseas could soon become Queensland’s dominant strain of Covid-19, according to experts who say constantly updating the vaccine is like “chasing our tail”.

Infectious diseases expert Dr Paul Griffin said based on what’s happening overseas, it’s possible the new Omicron sub variants XBB and BQ. 1 could become the dominant strain across the state.

“It does look like BQ. 1 and XBB are going to become dominant in the not too distant future in other parts of the world, so it would be likely that one of those sub variants are going to be one of the ones that causes problems for us (Queensland),” he said.

Dr Griffin said there was already the first improved vaccine available with the original strain and BA. 1 as well as one soon to be released to include the BA. 4 and BA. 5 targets.

“These are likely to give slightly better protection, even against the newer sub variants that are around,” he said.

There is a vaccine available to fight the original strain and BA. 1 as well as one soon to be released to include the BA. 4 and BA. 5 targets. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

But while developing new vaccines would help protect against severe illness from these variants, Dr Griffin said more needed to be done in terms of broader protection.

“Of course there’ll be vaccines developed for new sub variants that take over, but if we just stick to that approach it’s like chasing our tail and we’ll forever be trying to catch up,” he said.

“So we also need further improved vaccines that don’t require to be updated as frequently, and there’s lots of good work on those already.”

He said there was a possibility the state would see broader vaccines available in the next 12 months, while there are further “ambitions” to develop a pan coronavirus vaccine, which Dr Griffin says is likely much further away.

“There’s also other properties of the new vaccines including potentially looking at being better at blocking transmission which would really make a big difference to the pandemic if we’re looking at getting one of those,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Robert Booy, infectious diseases expert said there was a “strong impression” that the new strains appearing overseas could be more contagious but less deadly.

Although Dr Booy said Queensland was still at risk of the rapidly mutating virus, there was hope that it may have reached the “end of the road”.

“On a positive note, maybe the virus is running out of new mutations to make itself different,” he said.

“There’s a finite number of mutations that can make it more transmissible and it may be reaching the end of the road, we may be about to be in luck and see a continued decline in disease.”