(WXYZ) — Moderna announced early Monday morning that a third dose of its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine looks to give people protection against the new coronavirus omicron variant.
According to the company, the 50-microgram booster appears to increase neutralizing antibody levels 37-fold higher than levels before a booster.
The company also said that the 100-microgram shot was even more effective, increasing neutralizing antibody levels around 83-fold. The company said the data is preliminary and has not yet been peer-reviewed.
According to Moderna, they are still looking at developing an omicron-specific booster shot, as the variant appears to be more transmissible.
“The dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant is concerning to all. However, these data showing that the currently authorized Moderna COVID-19 booster can boost neutralizing antibody levels 37-fold higher than pre-boost levels are reassuring,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. “To respond to this highly transmissible variant, Moderna will continue to rapidly advance an Omicron-specific booster candidate into clinical testing in case it becomes necessary in the future. We will also continue to generate and share data across our booster strategies with public health authorities to help them make evidence-based decisions on the best vaccination strategies against SARS-CoV-2.”
