As the Omicron subvariants wreak havoc globally, Moderna’s top medical officer stressed the need to receive booster shots now instead of waiting for a revised vaccine that works better against Omicron mutations.
Last week, Moderna released a study result, which showed that mRNA-1273.214, its revised bivalent booster vaccine, had a higher neutralizing antibody response than the current booster shot.
He said that trial participants who received the bivalent booster had BA.4 and BA.5 neutralizing antibodies that were 1.69 times higher than those who received the original booster after one month.
Despite the improved efficacy, Moderna Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton urged people to receive a booster shot now if possible instead of waiting for the revised bivalent booster vaccine.
“My advice is to get a booster shot now,” Burton said at a press conference held by Moderna Korea on Tuesday. “I think we are indeed witnessing a sixth viral wave, and depending on the global geography, a country may face up to five Omicron subvariants.”
It is important to remember that these are not mild diseases, and they continue to cause very high rates of infections, hospitalization, and deaths in all age groups, Burton stressed, adding that people eligible for vaccination should take a shot right away.
“I think there will be a need for an additional vaccination this winter as we start supplying variant-adaptive booster shots globally,” Burton said. “If it were me, I would take advantage of receiving a booster shot now and continue to follow sensible public health measures, such as wearing face masks.”
Asked about Moderna’s plan to combat the continuous emergence of Omicron subvariant, including BA.2.75, considered by experts the most contagious Omicron subvariant with greater immune-avoidance properties than BA.5, and variants in general, Burton stressed that the company does think there is an opportunity to put many Covid-19 vaccines together in a single vaccine.
“Such a concept of merging all the Covid-19 vaccines is still some years away,” Burton said. “Our current approach is to try and get ahead of this virus and control it by bringing the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of different concerns variants together into a single vaccine.”
The company knows that by bringing these different mRNAs together, a person’s immune system can make antibodies for different variants, he added.
Burton stressed that he believes the company’s approach is the most effective way to get ahead of the virus and control it.
During the new conference, Moderna's Senior Vice President of Respiratory Vaccines Francesca Ceddia noted that the company is currently collaborating with various regulatory authorities, including Korea’s, to supply the Omicron-specific bivalent vaccine.
“We believe it will be available worldwide by the end of August,” Ceddia said.
Moderna Korea General Manager Sohn Ji-young added that her company had secured sufficient batches of vaccines to supply the country once the Korean regulatory officials reviewed the data and granted approval.