Moderna’s omicron vaccine booster didn’t protect any better than the normal vaccine in a small study

Moderna’s vaccine that targets the omicron variant might not be any stronger than its normal COVID vaccine 

https://www.deseret.com/coronavirus/2022/2/9/22923397/moderna-omicron-vaccine-booster-study-monkeys

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What they found: “The nonhuman primate (NHP) model has ... been largely predictive for what has been observed in humans in terms of protective efficacy,” the authors wrote, according to Ars Technica.

• The researchers found boosting monkeys with either the omicron-specific vaccine or the normal booster shot led to the same increase in antibodies.
• “And, when the vaccinated and boosted monkeys were challenged with an omicron infection, both boosters protected the primates equally well from disease in their lower airways,” according to Ars Technica.
• Scientists expect this finding to hold up in human trials. 

Why this matters: This early result should be a sign of what’s to come when Moderna starts to test its omicron-specific vaccine on humans.

 

 

PS

The research paper

mRNA-1273 or mRNA-Omicron boost in vaccinated macaques elicits comparable B cell expansion, neutralizing antibodies and protection against Omicron

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.03.479037v1
 

 

PPS

奥密克戎变异株“靶向疫苗”问世可期

https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/science-60146030