US pharmaceutical company Moderna is expected to start trials for a new vaccine designed to target the Omicron mutation early in the new year, the company's chief medical officer Dr Paul Burton told Britain's Sky News this morning.
He estimated that after "very strong activity in the first quarter of the year," the first results should probably be expected early in the second quarter of 2022.
Dr Burton said that immunity and protection from two doses of Moderna's and other companies' vaccine against Omicron wanes by as much as 40 times after three to six months. He stressed, however, that with the booster dose the immunity increases again to a high degree. "We can be optimistic that the booster dose can protect against the Omicron variant," said the scientist from the US drugmaker whose vaccine is administered as the third dose in the UK. B-9]
He noted that antibodies in the body after the booster dose "increase rapidly."He called Omicron a "serious mutation," highlighting evidence from South Africa that it has the ability to infect people who are sick.He also cited data from Denmark showing that disease rates due to Omicron are similar to those for Delta.Dr. Burton had expressed concern on Tuesday before a British parliamentary committee about the possibility of a new dangerous mutation emerging if someone is simultaneously affected by the Omicron and Delta mutations, which are in general circulation at the same time.
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
