Moderna Inc.  said Thursday it expects people who received its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine to need a booster shot in the fall to keep strong protection

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

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2021-08-06 21:30:09

Moderna Inc. said Thursday it expects people who received its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine to need a booster shot in the fall to keep strong protection against newer variants of the coronavirus.

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 Stéphane 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.

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