Results of the modified Moderna vaccine against Omicron

The vaccine was generally well tolerated, with side effects similar to those of the original booster dose.

“We expect mRNA-1273.214 to provide more durable protection against variants of concern, making it our prime candidate for a fall 2022 booster dose,” Bancel said.

The modified vaccine antibody titers were not only significantly higher in Omicron than in the Specifax vaccination, but also against other variants such as alpha, beta, gamma and delta. It should also last for a longer period of time.

Several studies have shown that immunity to Covid vaccines declines over time and that protection against the omicron variant is no longer as high as the original virus.

German competitor Biontech is also working with its US partner Pfizer on follow-up versions of the vaccine and plans to publish data on this in the coming weeks.

However, the company also hopes to get approval by the fall. “Depending on the authorities’ decision, a modified vaccine could be approved in August, September or autumn,” CEO Ugur Sahin said at the biotech company’s general meeting in Mainz last week.