Moderna to begin trial of new COVID vaccine to address virus variant first found in South Africa

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Moderna's trial of a new COVID-19 vaccine will target the virus variant that first emerged in South Africa. Other vaccine makers plan similar studies.

, which originated in South Africa, and which is the target of its new vaccine.

It will test several variations of a booster, the company said, including a single, low-dose shot of the variant-specific vaccine; a shot that includes both the original vaccine and the variant-specific one; and a third low-dose version of the original vaccine. Other leaders in the COVID-19 vaccine effort – Pfizer-BioNTech, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca-Oxford University – also have said they are working on new versions of their vaccines or boosters to increase their protection.It's not yet clear whether a booster shot, which amps up the immune system, will be enough to protect against a new variant, or if an entirely new vaccine is needed.

Instead, as with the flu vaccine, which is altered every year to cope with changing strains, COVID-19 vaccine versions will be tested in smaller groups to confirm safety and to examine immune responses for effectiveness. Johnson & Johnson's vaccine does seem to provide some protection there, and lab studies suggest that Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine, like Moderna's, would continue to provide some protection against that variant, though it's not clear how much.

"It really is the time to study effects of booster doses to new, emerging viral variants," Dr. Jesse Goodman, a professor of Medicine at Georgetown University and former chief scientist with the FDA, said in a Wednesday call with media.

 

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Ok, so why get the one out right now if they’re developing a newer one.

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