Moderna’s updated COVID shot protects against new variant.

Moderna's updated COVID shot protects against new variant.

Moderna’s Updated COVID Vaccine Holds Its Own Against BA.2.86 Variant

Good news for individuals concerned about the new COVID variant, BA.2.86 – Moderna Inc. announced that its updated vaccine has shown efficacy against this highly mutated version of the virus. While awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Moderna’s new vaccine has demonstrated an 8.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against the BA.2.86, also known as Pirola variant¹.

Public health authorities are closely monitoring the BA.2.86 variant, which has over 30 mutations compared to earlier Omicron variants. In addition to the EG.5 and FL1.5.1 variants, the emergence of BA.2.86 highlights the necessity of an updated COVID vaccine that can reduce severe illness and hospitalizations².

Fortunately, initial lab tests on the BA.2.86 variant suggest that it may not be as capable of evading immunity as initially feared. Researchers in China and Sweden have found that this variant appears less concerning than anticipated, offering some relief³.

BA.2.86 has been detected in the United States and ten other countries, with Denmark reporting the highest number of sequences. In the past month, around three dozen sequences have been identified worldwide⁴. However, Dr. Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist from Harvard University’s Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, reassures the public that BA.2.86 is not comparable to the original Omicron spread⁵.

Chinese researchers have discovered that BA.2.86 elicits a different immune system response compared to earlier COVID variants and can partially evade immunity. While the ability of vaccination and recent infection to neutralize BA.2.86 decreased by twofold compared to XBB.1.5 viruses, BA.2.86 was also found to be 60% less infectious than XBB.1.5 variants⁶. According to Yunlong Cao from the Biomedical Innovation Center at Peking University, BA.2.86 is unlikely to surpass other prevalent variants in terms of competitiveness⁷.

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In experiments conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, researchers assessed the impact of antibodies against BA.2.86 using blood samples collected from human donors in late 2022 and late August. The more recent blood samples showed better results in suppressing BA.2.86, indicating that the situation is not as dire as with the emergence of the original Omicron variant⁸.

It is important to note that these studies had their limitations; researchers used virus models rather than the actual virus itself⁹. Nevertheless, the results are promising and offer hope for the effectiveness of the upcoming vaccines against the EG.5 and BA.2.86 variants¹⁰.

Dr. Ashish Jha, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator, expressed his optimism regarding the news, stating that it is better than expected and encourages belief that the upcoming vaccine will significantly benefit individuals against the current dominant variants¹¹.

In conclusion, Moderna’s updated COVID vaccine has demonstrated effectiveness against the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant. The emergence of this variant, along with other prevalent variants, underscores the importance of continuously updating COVID vaccines to protect against severe disease and hospitalizations. While the BA.2.86 variant has raised concerns, initial findings suggest that it may not be as problematic as initially feared. Ongoing research and upcoming vaccines offer hope in combating the BA.2.86 and EG.5 variants and ensuring public health in the face of the ever-evolving COVID landscape¹².

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