Moderna tries to take on Omicron with its vaccine  

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

May 11, 2022 – Moderna has announced a variant specific Omicron booster that it says will be ready by fall of this year.

“We are confident that by the fall of this year, we should have large amounts of that new booster vaccine that will protect against omicron and other variants, and really protect Americans and people around the world as we go into the fall of 2022,” said Paul Burton, Moderna Chief Medical Officer on CBS News.”

Omicron and its sub-variants have continued to render many vaccines less effective.  Omicron and its variants now occupy the top three spots for most dominant strains of the coronavirus; almost completely breaking down the wall of defence by Covid-19 vaccines which were already in use when the mutation was first discovered late last year.

Efficacy for the initial mRNA Moderna vaccine wore off after about four months and was 48 percent effective in regards to Omicron according to the US Centres for Disease Control. The institute for Health Metrics and evaluation says Astra Zeneca wore off after about 20 weeks and was 36 percent effective against omicron. The Pfizer vaccine was 44 per cent effective against omicron and Johnson and Johnson was 33 percent effective

The Moderna chief says the company had at least two vaccines being developed but one was a clear leader and was in clinical trials. Moderna says it believes that will be superior.