Moderna is working on an Omicron specific booster – is it necessary?

On Wednesday, Moderna announced the start of its new COVID-19 human booster study. This time, the company is working on a booster specifically targeting the Omicron variant.

While data and health experts assure that the original vaccine and the booster offer protection against the new COVID-19 variant, Moderna wants to address Omicron with a new booster shot that is able to circumvent the challenges that the new variant faces brings. Research shows that Omicron is more resistant to the vaccine’s antibodies, which increases over time and makes boosters and vaccines less effective.

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Moderna’s Omicron vaccine trial consists of two groups of about 300 people each. One group consists of people who received two doses of the vaccine at least six months ago and another consists of people who received two doses plus a booster within the last three months.

Despite Omicron’s widespread prevalence, increasing data is shedding light on the fact that it is much milder than previous variants of the virus, at least in vaccinated patients.

A recent study conducted by the CDC shows that Omicron is less likely to result in death and hospitalizations, with even those hospitalized having a higher chance of recovery. The study found that those infected with Omicron were 75% less likely to require intensive care and that hospitalized patients required an average of 1.5 days of treatment compared to patients in the past who required an average of five days of treatment. None of the Omicron subjects required ventilation, a remarkable fact given the number of subjects whose data was analyzed.

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While this is good news, it’s still important to have a vaccine that targets the new variant, protects those who are more likely to get sick and limits the virus’ path, giving hospitals and healthcare workers breathing room would give.

The proliferation of Omicron, while initially terrifying, is now seen by some as the beginning of the end of the pandemic. As the virus spreads, it immunizes people and eliminates further avenues of mutation and infection for the virus, as has been the case for the past two years.

This possibility is encouraging, with the best possible outcome being that the virus reaches its endemic stage and becomes just another virus to watch, like the flu. Still, it’s impossible to know if this will happen or if other variants, perhaps more deadly, will appear.