CAMBRIDGE, Mass. 鈥� Moderna has begun testing an omicron-specific COVID-19 booster in healthy adults.
The company announced Wednesday that the first participant had received a dose. Earlier this week, competitor Pfizer of its own reformulated shots.
It鈥檚 not clear whether global health authorities will order a change to the vaccine recipe in the wake of the hugely contagious omicron variant. The original vaccines still offer good protection against death and severe illness. and elsewhere show a booster dose strengthens that protection and improves the chances of avoiding even a milder infection.聽
Moderna pointed to a small study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday that showed antibodies able to target omicron persisted for six months after a booster dose, although the levels were dropping.聽
Moderna鈥檚 new study will enroll about 600 people who already have received either two doses of the company鈥檚 original shots or two plus a booster dose. All the volunteers will receive a dose of the experimental omicron-matched version.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute鈥檚 Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The Associated Press
