Moderna announced on Monday that their booster shot increases antibody levels against the latest Covid strain Omicron.
The biotechnology company said its preliminary data show that a booster shot, which is a half-dose of the vaccination, increases antibodies against Omicron compared with the antibody levels present for a fully vaccinated person without a booster shot. Booster shots increase antibody levels 37 times.
Moderna’s booster has a 50-microgram dose, half of the typical 100-microgram dose for the preliminary vaccination shots. Moderna’s preliminary data also measured the antibody levels of a full 100 microgram booster, which raised the levels about 83-fold.
The Omicron variant has sparked great global concern, as it is quickly advancing across the world, and because vaccinations seem to be less effective against it. There also remain many unknowns about the variant, including how dangerous it is, and what hospitalization and death rates will be from it. What is known is that it is highly contagious, and fully vaccinated people are testing positive from it.
The data has not yet been publicly published, nor has it been reviewed independently by other experts. The data was announced by the company and by its CEO.
The announcement comes following Pfizer’s announcement earlier this month that their booster shot increased antibody levels against Omicron.
Moderna says that the data proving a significant increase in antibody levels means the booster will help protect people against Omicron. Low levels of antibodies lead to infection.
The company tested several versions of a booster shot, including a “multivalent” shot that includes the mutations found in Beta and Delta strains. Many of these variants and mutations are present in the Omicron strain.
Moderna said that instead of rolling out a new vaccine version, it will focus for now on boosters of the original vaccination, in order to get booster shots out there quicker and hopefully help stop the spread of Omicron.
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