A pharmacist prepares to administer Covid-19 vaccine booster shots during an event hosted by the Chicago Department of Public Health at the Southwest Senior Center in Chicago, Illinois, Sept. 9, 2022.
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New Covid vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are expected to provide protection against the new “Eris” variant, which is now the dominant strain of the virus in the U.S. These vaccines have been updated to target the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, but research suggests they will still be effective against Eris and other circulating variants.
Dr. Mark Mulligan, director of the NYU Langone Vaccine Center, expressed confidence in the vaccines, stating, “I think that these vaccines will provide very substantial protection against EG.5. Maybe just a little bit of loss, but it’s nothing that I’m very concerned about.”
The vaccines are awaiting approval from the Food and Drug Administration and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding who should receive the shots and at what frequency.
While Eris and other Covid variants have led to a slight increase in cases and hospitalizations, they have not reached the levels seen in previous waves. Eris currently accounts for 17.3% of all cases in the U.S.
Experts believe that the vaccines will be effective against Eris due to the strain’s similarity to the XBB.1.5 variant. Although Eris has an additional amino acid mutation, experts believe it is not significantly different from other omicron variants.
Preliminary data from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax supports the effectiveness of their updated vaccines against Eris. Moderna reported a “significant boost” in protective antibodies, while Pfizer stated that their shot “effectively neutralized” multiple omicron variants, including Eris.
Individuals considering vaccination should consult with their doctors to determine whether to get the currently available boosters or wait for the new vaccines. Unvaccinated or immunocompromised individuals are advised to consider getting the available boosters, while most healthy individuals can likely wait for the updated vaccines.
Experts expect the new vaccines to be available within a month, and Eris is not expected to cause a large-scale impact before their release.
According to Dr. Dean Blumberg, the currently available boosters may not provide as much protection against Eris due to the variant’s divergence from omicron BA.5. It is recommended to wait for the updated vaccines, which will specifically target Eris and other variants.
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