On Wednesday, Moderna said that its earlier trials show that an updated booster vaccine offers protection against the various omicron variants.
Driving the news: This new two-in-one vaccine will target the original coronavirus strain from 2020, as well as omicron and its variants, including BA.4 and BA.5, which have been spreading in the United States in recent months.
- This week, the BA.5 strain alone made up 23.5% of cases in the U.S., while BA.4 has a hold on 11.4%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker.
What they’re saying: “This is a strong, powerful antibody response,” Moderna Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton said at a news conference, per Reuters.
- “It is probably long lasting and I think the conclusions are that boosting or primary vaccination with (the updated vaccine) really could be a turning point in our fight against SARS-cov-2 virus.”
Details: The vaccine company hopes that the shot is approved for this fall, although it’s manufacturing its mRNA-1273.214 shot ahead of the sign-offs in order to be ready in the coming months, according to CBS News.
State of play: Per Reuters, the Food and Drug Administration plans to meet with outside experts next week to discuss the composition of the new vaccine for the fall.