JUST IN: Moderna says its updated COVID booster generated 'significantly higher' neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants than its earlier shot.
Moderna said on Monday its updated COVID-19 booster generated "significantly higher" neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants than its earlier shot.
The study included about 511 people ages 19 to 89 who were vaccinated, boosted with the original formulation and then boosted months later with a 50-microgram booster dose of the bivalent booster. Last month, Moderna published results for its other bivalent booster, known as mRNA-1273.214, which contains both Moderna's original vaccine as well as a vaccine targeting the original Omicron strain. That vaccine has been authorized for use in Europe. That study found that protection against BA.4 and BA.5 was also superior compared with boosting with the original vaccine.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BA.5 accounts for about 30% of all new infections in the United States. As a mix of new variants rises, BQ.1.1 now represents about 24% of new infections. But the rollout of the updated boosters has been sluggish, with just 10% of people ages 5 and older getting an updated booster dose, despite 73% of that population having gotten their first two shots.
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