Washington, Dec. 20 (BUS) – Moderna Inc said Monday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine should provide protection against the rapidly spreading omicron variant.
An Associated Press report said lab tests showed that the half-dose booster dose was 37 times higher than the level of so-called neutralizing antibodies able to fight omicron.
The full booster dose was even more powerful, the company said, resulting in an 83-fold jump in antibody levels, despite the increase in typical side effects.
While half-dose doses are used for most Moderna boosters, a third full-dose dose is recommended for people with weakened immune systems.
Moderna announced its preliminary lab data in a press release and has not yet undergone a scientific review. But tests by the US National Institutes of Health, announced last week by Dr. Anthony Fauci, found a similar leap.
Likewise, Pfizer’s test found that the COVID-19 vaccine caused a similar big jump in antibodies that fight omicron. Vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, both made with mRNA technology, are being used in many countries around the world to fight the coronavirus.
Together, the available evidence supports health authorities’ growing appeals for people to get their boosters as soon as they qualify.
Antibody levels predict how well a vaccine will prevent infection with the coronavirus, but they are just one layer of the immune system’s defenses.
Other research indicates that the vaccine should still induce good protection against severe disease if people are exposed to breakthrough infections.
Moderna and Pfizer are both developing snapshots to better match the omicron variant should they be needed.
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