Moderna updates COVID shots for the fall.

Moderna plans to release upgraded COVID-19 boosters in the fall that guard against the omicron version. It reported on Tuesday that such a strategy might work.

The current COVID-19 vaccines all use the original coronavirus. The super-contagious omicron strain and its brothers are the latest menace.

Moderna was researching a combo shot that included beta protection before omicron came along. This combination produced more antibodies capable of combating numerous types, including omicron, than today's typical booster triggers.

Moderna's goal is to develop a combo shot that targets omicron. "These results definitely give us optimism" for the next step, said Moderna vice president Dr. Jacqueline Miller.

The data from Tuesday was reported online and not verified by professionals.

COVID-

Still, 19 vaccinations protect against severe disease, hospitalization, and death. Although studies in the US and elsewhere demonstrate that original booster dosage increases protection, that variety differs from the original coronavirus. In the US, anyone over 50 or with a severely impaired immune system gets a second booster.

Booster shots every few months aren't the answer, say health officials. They've started debating when and if to update the vaccination recipe.

Risky switching to a new vaccine since the virus may evolve again. So Moderna and Pfizer are both testing "bivalent" shots, which combine their original vaccination with an omicron-targeted variant.

The omicron is not affected by Moderna's prior beta-targeted combo injection. Miller claims it shares four mutations with the beta version and the newer omicron.

Moderna is now testing a bivalent injection that targets omicron and has 32 mutations. The findings of two booster dose studies in the US and UK are due by late June.

Read the original article at https://abc7.com/moderna-vaccine-booster-shot/11768731/