Moderna Working on , Vaccine Booster That Targets, the Omicron Variant.
The Associated Press reports that Moderna is developing an updated COVID-19 booster that offers protection against the omicron variant.
On April 19, the pharmaceutical company released data suggesting that work on the updated booster was making progress.
Prior to the emergence of omicron, Moderna had been developing a booster with added protection against the beta variant of coronavirus.
According to the company, people who received that specific booster produced more antibodies capable of fighting a number of variants.
AP reports that the omicron variant is able to more easily slip past the immune system's defenses than the original coronavirus.
According to health officials, distributing boosters every few months does not present a practical solution to the mutating virus.
As a result, Moderna and its rival Pfizer are testing "bivalent" shots which mixes each company's original vaccine with an updated omicron version.
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As a result, Moderna and its rival Pfizer are testing "bivalent" shots which mixes each company's original vaccine with an updated omicron version.
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Moderna's bivalent shot reportedly includes 32 variant mutations of the coronavirus.
Studies on the new bivalent shots are currently underway in the United States and Britain.
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Results from the studies are expected by late June
