Moderna has outlined its strategies to maintain the potency of its vaccine against newly emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. These efforts encompass evaluating the impact of a third vaccine dose – a second booster – in conjunction with the current COVID-19 vaccine, and also the creation of a variant-specific vaccine engineered to target the spike proteins found on the novel viral strains initially detected in both the U.K. and South Africa.

The company is undertaking these precautions “as a proactive measure,” according to a statement released by the biotechnology company, as preliminary research indicates the existing vaccine continues to demonstrate effectiveness against these new strains, although a slight decrease in effectiveness has been observed with the B.1.351 variant, first identified in South Africa. Nevertheless, the company’s swift response to the virus’s mutations is encouraging, as ongoing adaptations will likely be necessary for the long-term control of COVID-19, even after the current pandemic subsides.

Moreover, Moderna anticipates that both its future vaccine candidate and its current booster vaccine will enhance immune responses when administered alongside “all currently available vaccines.” This suggests the potential for combining Moderna’s products with vaccines from Oxford or Pfizer/BioNTech to strengthen immunity, which could prove valuable when supplies of certain vaccines are limited and a booster is urgently needed.

Importantly, Moderna now possesses data indicating that its already-distributed mRNA-based vaccine will continue to offer protection against SARS-CoV-2, and consequently, against COVID-19. Specifically, study results reveal no decline in immune response in individuals vaccinated against the U.K. variant. Regarding the South African variant, the observed reduction in effectiveness primarily suggests a possible faster decrease in immunity – potentially meaning individuals may require a booster shot earlier than initially projected, but should not necessitate significant alterations to the global inoculation strategy, particularly in the initial phases.