Moderna says its experimental COVID-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with protection against the omicron variant appears to work.
COVID-19 vaccine makers are studying updated boosters that might be offered in the fall. Moderna says its combination booster candidate increased omicron-fighting antibodies more than just giving another dose of the original.
Today’s vaccines still offer strong protection against COVID-19 hospitalization and death but protection against milder infections wanes especially as the virus continues to mutate.
Health authorities are considering whether to order a change in the vaccine recipe. Moderna announced its preliminary study results Wednesday.
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FDA advisers back Novavax COVID shots as 4th US option
A more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine is a step closer to becoming the fourth option for U.S. adults.
Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted Tuesday to recommend authorization of shots made by Novavax. It’s a protein vaccine, a more conventional technology than the dominant Pfizer and Moderna shots, and the lesser-used Johnson & Johnson option.
It the FDA ultimately agrees, the Novavax shots could be an option for adults who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated.The company eventually hopes to offer its shots as a booster, like they’re used in some other countries.
Beijing reopens restaurants as new COVID-19 cases drop
Diners are returning to restaurants in most of Beijing for the first time in more than a month as authorities further ease pandemic-related restrictions.
The moves come after a small COVID-19 outbreak in the capital was largely eradicated under China’s strict “zero-COVID” approach.
Museums, cinemas and gyms are allowed to operate at up to 75% of capacity and delivery drivers can once again bring packages to a customer’s door.
The ruling Communist Party remains wedded to a “zero-COVID” strategy that exacts an economic cost and inconveniences millions of people, even as many other countries take a more relaxed approach.
