Moderna released data from an early human trial which showed that a booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine creates immunity against two variants of concern: B.1.351, first identified in South Africa, and P.1, first identified in Brazil.

What You Need To Know

  • Moderna released data from an early human trial which showed that a booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine creates immunity against the coronavirus variants detected in Brazil and South Africa

  • The trial tested 40 people which were either given a third dose of mRNA-1273, or an experimental vaccine developed specifically to combat the variant first detected in South Africa, mRNA-1273.351

  • Drug companies are in the midst of testing booster shots against COVID-19.

  • Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said last month that people will "likely" require a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccination within 12 months of being fully vaccinated

The booster shots also boosted antibody response against the original strain of the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

The shots were given to volunteers already vaccinated with two doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273. The trial tested 40 people which were either given a third dose of mRNA-1273, or an experimental vaccine developed specifically to combat the variant first detected in South Africa, mRNA-1273.351.

“As we seek to defeat the ongoing pandemic, we remain committed to being proactive as the virus evolves,” Stéphane Bancel, the CEO of Moderna, said in a statement. “We are encouraged by these new data, which reinforce our confidence that our booster strategy should be protective against these newly detected variants.”

“Our mRNA platform allows for rapid design of vaccine candidates that incorporate key virus mutations, potentially allowing for faster development of future alternative variant-matched vaccines should they be needed,” Bancel added.

The preliminary results have not yet been peer-reviewed.

Side effects, the company said, were similar to the ones experienced by those who have already received the COVID-19 vaccines. The majority of adverse events were mild or moderate in severity, Moderna said, the most common of which being injection site pain.

Drug companies are in the midst of testing booster shots against COVID-19. Health experts and scientists have said that people may require booster shots every year, similar to the flu shot.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said last month that people will "likely" require a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccination within 12 months of being fully vaccinated. Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer’s chief scientific officer, told investors Tuesday that they expect high-risk individuals, such as people with underlying medical conditions and the elderly, to be first in line for a booster.