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New Covid vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer produced a strong immune response against BA.2.86, a highly mutated omicron variant that health officials are watching closely, the companies said Wednesday.
Moderna said its updated shot produced an 8.7-fold increase in protective antibodies against BA.2.86 in a clinical trial. Pfizer separately said its jab generated protective antibodies against that strain and other fast-spreading variants of the virus in a trial on animals.
BA.2.86 has been detected in small numbers nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously said the strain, also known as “Pirola,” may be more capable of escaping antibodies from earlier infections and vaccinations, but new research also suggests that the variant may be less immune-evasive than feared.
Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax are slated to roll out new vaccines targeting another omicron strain called XBB.1.5 within weeks, pending potential approvals from…
2023-09-07 08:37:15
Post from www.cnbc.com
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