The latest Covid variant, XEC, is quickly set to become the dominant version during this winter season. However, the quick rise of this new mutation, which is a combination of two previous omicron strains, may mean the vaccines prepared to bolster people in the colder months won't be as effective.
Dr Scott Roberts, MD, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist, explained it's "impossible to guarantee" any vaccine will be a 100% match for the current dominant variant when the virus is constantly mutating at such fast speeds. The most up-to-date mRNA vaccines on offer at the moment is Pfizer and Moderna's jab designed for KP.2, which was the most dominant variant this past spring, and the Novavax which targeted an earlier strain JN.1.
The expert noted that a combination between the JN.1 and KP.2 jabs should provide adequate protection from the XEC variant. He explained that the new mutation "is composed of two Omicron subvariants that were expected to be addressed by the updated vaccines".
He highlighted: "Although this new variant might diminish the immunity the vaccines provide by a little bit, I'm optimistic that we're still going to have some degree of protection." He pointed to previous instances from the last winter period when vastly different strains arose but were still warded off effectively from vaccines for the JN.1 mutation.
XEC is a new highly transmissible subvariant, according to Yale, that first sprouted in Germany before spreading throughout Europe and has now reached the United States. There is no evidence currently that the new variant is more severe than other strains, although it still poses the same detrimental risk to certain demographics who are medically vulnerable.
Arguably the most worrying thing about XEC is the fact that it's a merge between two previous strains, which can happen when one individual becomes infected with both strains. This can launch the virus forwards in terms of its genetic development and has the "potential to create a big jump" and change multiple aspects of the virus at once. XEC also reportedly has a new mutation of its own that is lacking in its predecessors but the effect this development has on people is currently unclear. People are still urged to get their free NHS Covid vaccines if they're eligible in order to best protect them in the colder months particularly as more doctors warn about the upcoming "tripledemic" as XEC's rise coincides with flu season and RSV spikes.