Moderna jab to ‘protect through the winter’

The Moderna Covid-19 booster jab shows good protection for at least three months, offering hope that it will protect people through the toughest part of winter.

The American pharmaceutical giant’s new vaccine has been the main one used so far in the UK autumn booster programme.

Some 9.2 million have had the autumn booster in England alone.

The Omicron strain of the virus has been in circulation for some time and various sub-strains have emerged.

The new Moderna “bivalent” vaccine targets both the Omicron strain and the original strain of the virus which emerged in 2019.

It has previously shown the jab had a good response for at least a month after being given.

Now it has shown positive results at least three months after the jab was administered.

Moderna compared its new vaccine as a booster with its original vaccine.

It found that after 90 days, the new bivalent vaccine “elicited a superior neutralising antibody response” against the BA.1 sub-lineage of Omicron, regardless of whether or not participants had previously had Covid-19.

It also showed “significantly higher neutralising antibody responses” against the newer sub-lineages of omicron – BA.4/BA.5.

The Moderna press release adds: “Potent responses were also seen against Omicron BA.2.75 28 days after administration, suggesting that the bivalent booster elicits broad cross-neutralisation against Omicron variants”.

Dr Philip Cruz, UK medical director for Moderna, told the PA news agency: “We looked at our vaccine performance after three months as a second booster dose and this gives is the confidence that it works.

“We are very pleased to see this vaccine gives a strong level of immune response three months after it is administered.

Asked whether the results could give people confidence they would be protected throughout the winter, he said: “Yes, that gives us the confidence at a three-month timepoint – if you are having it now it extends throughout winter.

“We are looking at it continuously, we are at the three-month mark and everything is looking great.” Stephane Bancel, chief executive of Moderna, said in a statement: “Our bivalent boosters continue to demonstrate a strong, enduring response to Covid-19 variants of concern.” “Clinical trial data now indicates that the superior immune response produced by our bivalent booster has durability for at least three months.

“As Covid-19 remains a global threat and a leading cause of death globally, this is an encouraging development, showing that a bivalent booster dose will offer important protection leading into the winter months.” The full results are to be presented on Thursday at the ID Week conference in the US.

-Ranjith Perera-