Nikos Pekiaridis | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Moderna’s
new Covid vaccine exhibited a significant immune response against the prevalent “Eris” variant and another rapidly spreading strain of the virus in an early clinical trial, as announced by the biotech company on Thursday.
The updated vaccine specifically targets the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, but the findings suggest that it may also provide efficacy against emerging variants of the virus that are gaining momentum nationwide. This includes Eris and another variant named “Fornax,” both of which are descended from the omicron virus variant.
Moderna’s vaccine, alongside new vaccines from Pfizer and Novavax, are expected to be introduced in the coming weeks, pending potential approvals from the Food and Drug Administration.
Meanwhile, hospitalizations related to Covid, driven by Eris and other variants, continue to rise, although they remain below last summer’s peak that strained healthcare facilities.
Eris, or EG.5, accounted for 17.3% of all cases as of earlier this month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The World Health Organization has designated Eris as a “variant of interest,” implying that it will be closely monitored for mutations that could potentially increase its severity.
Fornax, or FL 1.5.1, is also experiencing a surge in certain parts of the U.S. It represented 8.6% of all cases nationwide earlier this month, as reported by the CDC.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
