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Drug maker Moderna says a half-dose booster of its mRNA vaccine provides 37 times more neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron COVID variant.
And a higher, 100µg booster dose of the same vaccine drove antibody levels even higher – more than 80 times pre-booster levels.
The company said lab stests suggest the current version of the vaccine will continue to be its “first line of defence against Omicron” for now, until an Omicron-specific version is developed.
The decision to focus on the current vaccine, mRNA-1273, was driven in part by how quickly the variant is spreading. Moderna plans to develop a vaccine specifically to protect against Omicron, which it hopes to take to clinical trials in early 2022.
“What we have available right now is 1273, said Dr Paul Burton, Moderna’s chief medical officer. “It’s highly effective and extremely safe. I think it will protect people through the coming holiday period and through these winter months, when we’re going to see the most severe pressure of Omicron.”
MORE HERE from The Guardian …
