Moderna says it expects people who received its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine to need a booster shot in the fall [Editor’s note: the link may be paywalled; alternative source] to keep strong protection against newer variants of the coronavirus. From a report: 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. In a Phase 2 study, a third shot of the original formulation showed robust antibody responses against Covid-19 variants of concern, Moderna said. Moderna Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said in an interview Thursday that the company plans to seek regulatory approval for its booster shots in September, after it analyzes data from ongoing trials.
He 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. “We’re playing it safe, not only for Delta but also for what’s coming after,” he said. “I don’t think the virus is done.” Moderna, whose vaccine was authorized for emergency use in December, said Thursday it intends to complete in August its submission to the Food and Drug Administration for full approval of its shot. Its larger rival Pfizer completed its submission in July and the FDA aims to approve it by next month. FDA officials say the vaccines are safe but acknowledge full approval could help combat vaccine hesitancy and ease the way for vaccine mandates as cases in the U.S. fueled by the Delta variant surge.
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