Researchers Find Revising Vaccine Formula May Not Offer Greater Protection From Omicron Infection
A preprint study released this week from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center finds that although vaccine manufacturers like Moderna have been working to update a booster based on the omicron strain, the original COVID-19 vaccine may offer similar protection against disease.
The preprint study, published in bioRxiv, suggests that Moderna’s omicron-specific booster may not provide greater immunity or protection compared with a booster with the current Moderna vaccine.
Although the study has not yet been peer reviewed, researchers conducted a trial in animals that involved giving primates either a dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine or an omicron-specific booster. The results showed similar levels of protection from disease in the lungs of the primates.
Blood analysis from the primates also showed the neutralizing antibody levels and immune responses did not differ between those who received the omicron-specific booster and those who received the original vaccine formula. Moderna has said in a statement that, despite these findings, the company will continue to look ahead to fall 2022 and the need for changes in vaccine protections when it comes to any new or existing COVID-19 variants of concern.
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