LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Moderna is working on a booster shot to fight off COVID-19 variants.
The company hopes to have it rolled out by this fall, according to its CEO Stephane Bancel. Clinical data on a booster shot could come in May.
Bancel said booster shots for the coronavirus vaccine will be necessary at some point, though it is too early to tell how often they will be needed. He emphasized that the company's two-shot vaccine has "an efficacy north of 90%" and "seems to be doing very well in the real world."
The CEO added that booster shots "are going to be really important to keep the country safe and open, and we are working very hard. In thirty days, Moderna developed a variant boost for the South African strain. We published data this week showing it works very well in animals. We'll have human data very soon."
Last month, Pfizer said its vaccine appears to be effective against the UK and South African variants of the virus. The UK variant is the most dominant in the U.S. But Bancel said his company isn't worried about the vaccines' effect against variants right now.
"We don't know how the variants will impact efficacy in the long term. In the short term, we are not worried," he said. "The B 1.1.7, the (variant) identified in the UK, which is prominent in the U.S. now, we have seen and published that the level of antibody is similar to an old strain of the virus. We feel very good about this one."
Studies show all approved vaccines in the country are somewhat effective against virus mutation. Experts think booster shots in some form will be necessary in the future.
Copyright 2021 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved. Fox News also contributed to this report.
The Link LonkApril 24, 2021 at 03:46AM
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Moderna CEO says booster shots will eventually be required - WDRB
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