On Wednesday, Moderna announced that "clinical trial data showed that its modified COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be effective against the highly mutated subvariant 'BA.2.86' of the coronavirus, which has raised concerns about a resurgence of infections." The company clarified that "a dose of the vaccine induced an increase in antibodies in humans by more than eight and a half times against the BA.2.86 variant that is being monitored by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
Jacqueline Miller, head of infectious diseases at Moderna, stated in an interview: "We believe this is news people want to hear as they prepare to go out and get booster shots in the fall," adding that "the data should also help reassure regulatory bodies." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had previously indicated that this variant may be more capable of infecting individuals who have previously contracted COVID-19 or have been vaccinated with earlier doses.
Moderna has "informed regulatory authorities of the new results regarding its vaccine and submitted them for review prior to publication." However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved the dose, although it is expected to be available later this month or in early October. Despite the importance of monitoring the new variant, several experts told Reuters that it is unlikely to cause a wave of severe illness or death due to the immune defenses built up from widespread vaccination and previous infections worldwide.
