Moderna Recommends Covid-19 Vaccine Booster to Protect Against New Variants

[andhra_jp]

The company said its vaccine remains 90% effective against preventing Covid-19 disease for at least six months, but said it sees a decline in antibody levels after six months, especially against newer strains of the coronavirus including the Delta variant.

Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Ban said the boosters are necessary because immunity will continue to wane over time and some vaccine recipients show a drop in neutralizing antibodies when exposed to some variants, including Delta.

Company plans to seek regulatory approval for its booster shots in September, after it analyzes data from ongoing trials.

As the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus is becoming dominant across the world, Israel has started giving a third shot to its most vulnerable people, while the German and French governments have said they intend to soon.

The World Health Organization called Wednesday for a moratorium on Covid-19 booster shots until at least the end of September to address a shortfall in vaccine supplies to poor countries.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/moderna-says-vaccine-remains-effective-for-six-months-11628165429