US pharmaceuticals firm Moderna has said the booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine showed high efficacy against the highly transmissible Omicron variant. This came as the new COVID strain, which was classified as a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last month, is raging across the world. Earlier, a study showed a sharp drop in the efficacy of Moderna’s two-shot regimen against the new variant. Moderna’s findings might be good news amid gloom around Omicron, given it’s said to be highly transmissible and able to partially evade protection offered by prior infection and the various COVID-19 vaccines.
Efficacy Of Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Against Omicron
(Photo Credit: Unsplash)
Moderna said the following about the efficacy of the booster of its COVID-19 vaccine against the Omicron variant:
- A 37-fold rise in antibodies levels against Omicron was seen after the administration of the booster dose, the company said. The two-dose regimen generated a low level of neutralising antibodies against the new variant of concern. However, the same increased by 37-fold after administering 50 micrograms of a booster dose. When a higher dose that is 100 micrograms of booster dose was given, it drove the antibody levels up by 80 times.
- The company is continuing with the current version of its vaccine as of now. mRNA-1237, the current version of Moderna’s vaccine, is “highly effective and extremely safe,” Dr Paul Burton, Moderna’s chief medical officer, said. Adding further, he said, the vaccine, he thinks, would protect people through the upcoming holiday season and winter months, “when we’re going to see the most severe pressure of Omicron,” several media houses reported.
- However, the company aims to develop a vaccine specific to Omicron for which clinical trials might begin early next year.
- Since 100 micrograms of booster dose showed higher efficacy, Burton said, it is for the government and regulators to decide upon the enhanced levels. The United States is administering 50 micrograms of booster dose after 100 micrograms each of the two vaccine doses.
- The enhanced level of booster dose was safe and well-tolerated, Moderna said. However, more frequent adverse reactions were witnessed in this case, a leading media house reported.
The statements were made based on the results of lab testing. For that, the blood samples of those who received the shots against a pseudovirus were tested. A pseudovirus is engineered in the lab to mimic the characteristics of the virus. The findings are yet to be peer-reviewed.
Also read: Omicron Over 5 Times Likelier To Cause Reinfection Than Delta, No Sign It's Milder: Study
Efficacy Of Moderna’s Two-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine Regimen Against Omicron
(Photo Credit: Unsplash)
Earlier, a study conducted in the United States concluded that the two-dose regimen of Moderna’s COVID jab saw a 50-fold drop in efficacy against Omicron as compared to the original novel coronavirus strain, first identified in Wuhan, China. However, an increase in antibodies levels was witnessed following the booster dose. Pfizer too witnessed a similar drop in the effectiveness of its COVID vaccine.
Also read: First Omicron Death Reported In UK, New Variant Could Be More Fatal Than It Seems
What Are Booster Shots?
Many countries, such as the United States, Israel, and France, are giving a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines following the original two shots. A booster shot is the third dose of a vaccine, which can be the same as the original vaccine or can be tweaked as per the mutations in the virus. Although India hasn’t begun with it, the immunocompromised, elderly, and those with underlying health conditions might be the first to get a booster dose.
About Omicron COVID Variant
Since first being identified early in November, the Omicron COVID variant has already spread to over 85 countries.
- On November 9, the first case of the Omicron variant was detected in South Africa.
- The WHO classified it as a variant of concern on November 26.
- In a little over a month, it has already spread to 89 countries, the WHO has said.
- Omicron is said to be highly transmissible and able to evade the immune response generated by the COVID vaccines.
Currently, India isn’t administering booster doses to its population. It is yet to begin the vaccination drive for kids. Hence, till there is no clarity of booster shots in India, it’s better to take as much precaution as you can. Hence, wear masks, practise social distancing, and get vaccinated.
Photo Credit: Unsplash