Moderna Canada head: Annual COVID-19 booster may be needed

VANCOUVER —
The head of Moderna’s operations in Canada says that the company is studying whether a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose or even annual boosters may be necessary.

While Moderna says its current booster vaccine — called mRNA-1273 — offers good protection against Omicron, the company is working on a vaccine specifically designed for Omicron. Clinical trials for this vaccine are expected to begin in early 2022.

“We know a booster here and now will protect people and increase your antibody levels to neutralize Omicron. What we’re doing is, in parallel, developing an Omicron booster so that if there’s a need for booster in the future, we will have other tools in the toolkit,” Moderna Canada President Patricia Gauthier told CTV News Channel.

However, Canadians are being advised to get the currently available booster shots as soon as possible rather than wait for this new vaccine.

“This will take a bit of time. So, I think in the meantime, what’s really important is get boosted with 1273. It has shown really strong protection,” Gauthier said.

Preliminary laboratory data shared by Moderna on Monday showed that the half-dose booster shot increased by 37 times the level of so-called neutralizing antibodies able to fight Omicron.

A full-dose booster was even stronger, triggering an 83-fold jump in antibody levels, although with an increase in the usual side effects, the company said. While half-dose shots are being used for most Moderna boosters, a full-dose third shot has been recommended for people with weakened immune systems.

“It’s really significant in terms of protection,” said Gauthier. “We’re very encouraged. It shows that a booster of Moderna will be protecting people.”

Amid the rise of the new variant and surging COVID-19 cases, provinces and territories have been quickly rolling out booster shots.

Gauthier says Canada is set to receive over a million doses of the company’s vaccine this week and “more millions of doses” in January.

“I can tell you that supply is coming to Canada. Supply is not an issue at this point in time at all. We’re not foreseeing this either,” she said.

These doses are being manufactured in the U.S. However, back in August, the company announced plans to build an mRNA vaccine production plan in Canada within the next two years and signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government.

With files from The Associated Press.