Moderna says a booster dose of its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine may be needed as new viral variants emerge, Business Insider reports.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the company said as part of its earnings announcement that its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is 93 percent effective six months after the second dose, close to its initial efficacy of 94 percent. It adds that Moderna also has been investigating additional vaccine doses, including ones aimed at new viral variants. "We are pleased that our COVID-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy of 93 percent through six months but recognize that the Delta variant is a significant new threat so we must remain vigilant," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel says in a statement.
Business Insider adds Moderna president Stephen Hoge noted during an earnings call that there is some evidence that antibodies may decline after six to eight months. He added, according to the Verge, that a booster dose would likely be needed "to keep us as safe as possible through the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere" and that the company found that a third dose of the initial vaccine and other boosters have "robust antibody responses to COVID-19 variants of concern."
Pfizer has also suggested a booster to its vaccine might be needed.