Moderna begins testing Omicron-specific COVID shots in adults
Posted January 26, 2022 6:39 pm.
Moderna has begun testing an Omicron-specific COVID-19 booster in healthy adults.
The company announced Wednesday that the first participant had received a dose. Earlier this week, competitor Pfizer began a similar study of its own reformulated shots.
Moderna’s new study will enroll about 600 people who already have received either two doses of the company’s original shots or two plus a booster dose. All the volunteers will receive a dose of the experimental omicron-matched version.
It’s not clear whether global health authorities will order a change to the vaccine recipe in the wake of the hugely contagious Omicron variant.
Related: Pfizer testing COVID-19 vaccine modified for Omicron variant
Experts say the original vaccines still offer good protection against death and severe illness. Studies in the U.S. and elsewhere show a booster dose strengthens that protection and improves the chances of avoiding even a milder infection.
Moderna pointed to a small study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday that showed antibodies able to target Omicron persisted for six months after a booster dose, although the levels were dropping.
COVID-19 vaccine makers have been updating their shots to better match Omicron in case global health authorities decide the change is needed.
On Tuesday, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced it has started a study comparing its original COVID-19 vaccine with doses specially tweaked to match the hugely contagious Omicron variant.
The U.S. study is enrolling up to 1,420 healthy adults, ages 18 to 55, to test the updated Omicron-based shots for use as a booster or for primary vaccinations. Researchers will examine the tweaked vaccine’s safety and how it revs up the immune system in comparison to the original shots.
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With files from Claire Fenton of CityNews
