HOUSTON – The fight against the new coronavirus variants appears to be ramping up as vaccine makers like Pfizer and Moderna are looking into developing booster shots designed to target the emerging variants that are causing concern around the world.
Moderna announced this week that it plans to begin a clinical trial that will help determine if a second booster shot is required.
“It may be that the vaccine will work against these variants and attenuate the disease in which case a booster is not needed, but the opposite may be the case,” said Dr. Hana El Sahly, an associate professor of molecular virology and microbiology and of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
El Sahly is one of three lead investigators for Moderna’s COVID-19 trial.
“We are hearing about variants coming from New York, California, there is the UK variant, but the fact that it is a variant does not mean it will be more of a problem than the pre-existing one,” she said.
So far, El Sahly said antibody levels are high enough to work well against variants, including the South African one, but this new study will help Moderna stay ahead of the game.
“In case we need boosting, in case we need new variants included in the vaccine, these data will be ready,” El Sahly told KPRC 2. “In the next few weeks there will be testing of the safety and the immune responses to the vaccine containing the variants, however, this is just being done just in case it’s needed.”
While these clinical trials are in the works, El Sahly does not advise waiting to get the vaccine.
“If someone is at risk of getting the disease, especially if they are at risk of getting the complications of the disease there is really no point in waiting,” she said.
El Sahly said don’t focus on a potential third vaccine, just get numbers one and two.
She said there is no timeline when Moderna may have the information needed to determine if they will need a second booster.