While the DOJ dukes it out with Judge McVirus in Florida, science is hoping to lend a helping hand in continuing to fight the coronavirus. In the midst of mask mandates being lifted and the predictable rise in Covid case resulting from those decisions, Moderna announced a new single-shot booster that targets two strains of the virus, one being the virulent Omicron that is currently causing so much trouble. The data is still being tested but the company hopes to have the booster out by this fall.
On Tuesday, Moderna announced that its new modified COVID-19 booster shot provided strong protection against multiple variants of the virus — including omicron.
The new single shot is designed to target two strains of the coronavirus using a combination of a beta variant-specific vaccine and the company’s original formula, NBC News reported.
The company said the modified booster candidate, called a bivalent vaccine, appeared to induce higher antibody responses than the company’s existing booster.
The modified booster shots — which are still being tested — could be distributed across the country as early as this fall, NBC reported.
“Moderna is developing updated booster candidates to address the continued evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including monovalent and bivalent candidates targeting multiple variants of concern,” said a company statement.
The data hasn’t been peer reviewed yet, per NBC.
This is great news. In the thick of the Covid outbreak, I only knew, personally, one person who got it. She passed from it, tragically and I miss her every day. But everyone else who got it was a friend of a friend or some other distant connection. Since Omicron has made an appearance, I know about a dozen people who have gotten it. Thank goodness they were all vaccinated and they seem to be okay now, but this thing is everywhere. I *knock wood* have not had it, but just the second booster (Pfizer) for it knocked me on my butt.
Even the most diligent of us are questioning when will it be enough? How many shots is it going to take, how many masks are we going to have to layer, how many waves will we endure before this is over? Most of us thought as soon as the vaccine hit the shelves, we’d be on the road to recovery and although it would take a little while, it was never going to take this long. But it isn’t science failing us, it’s humans. Specifically a large number of humans who can be vaccinated and yet have refused to be. By not eradicating this thing or obtaining herd immunity, we’ve allowed the virus to mutate and protect itself against our vaccines. So the answer is, unfortunately, who knows what it will take to finally be done? But thank gawd there are people willing to keep finding ways to protect us even when we won’t protect ourselves.
Photo credit: Getty Images, Gustavo Fring, cottonbro and Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels
And some of us are still desperately waiting for our youngest family members to get vaccinated. I feel like Linus waiting in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin while everyone around me gets to go trick or treating. Families with kids under five have been left behind, and it’s unacceptable at this point.
I’m right there with you, Ashley.
My two year old is the only family member unvaccinated and he got Covid this week after my husband brought it back from a business trip. This variant is SO contagious. He was indoors with the kids for maybe 20 minutes before he noticed his scratchy throat and started isolating. Went to his parents house the next day since they are out of town.
Two year old was sick two days later with a 36 hour fever and vomiting. Had he not been exposed and tested positive, I would’ve thought it was a stomach bug. It’s been a huge relief he’s back to his happy, playful self after two years of worrying. Vaccinated five year old tested positive yesterday even though I’ve had him isolating in his room away from the two year old since Sunday. Seems pretty mild so far. Boosted husband has had the worst of it but finally turned a corner yesterday.
I’m the lone hold out and have had all the windows open, fans on, hepa filters going, wearing my KN95 masks at all times. Really hoping I stay well so I don’t miss my brother’s wedding next week. So tired but also relieved we’re making it through ok and that we were able to dodge it until we had a combination of most of us being vaccinated/boosted and a milder strain. It feels like the height of original omicron again where multiple people we know are getting Covid right now for the first time from different places. Most from traveling, which is only going to get worse with dropping the mask mandate for planes and public transportation.
I hope we don’t get another mutation before these updated vaccines come out. I wish everyone would take the damn vaccine so we could stop it mutating as easily. Stay well and healthy everyone!
I’m glad everyone in your family is turning the corner on this illness. But I’m so sorry for the agony of having to deal with all of them being sick at once!
Yes, dropping mask mandates on planes is lunacy and making it unsafe to fly. And since no one is required to isolate anymore, everyone you meet should be considered contagious and a vector. Because the people especially eager to talk up in your face are the unvaccinated, unintelligent, science-adverse lunatics who prolonged this disease in the first place. It’s infuriating.
Agree 100%!
It is unacceptable. It’s also completely unacceptable how the studies were designed. They should have been testing both 3mg and 6mg on the 2-5’s from the very beginning. They had more than enough parents willing to sign their kids up for the trial. And trying for the third round of 3mg seemed like a bad call at the time and I think that’s why we haven’t gotten a single update in months. Didn’t work. I admittedly do not work in vaccine development, but even I saw that coming a mile away.
I don’t really get what’s going on with the little kids vaccines. I know people were doing trials over a year ago near me with kids that age and I guess nothing came of. I feel like it stopped being prioritized since kids don’t typically get as sick as adults but I know people with immunocompromised kids and household members really need this. Also I’ve seen some posts from parents in my parenting groups talk about long and medium haul symptoms their kids have had and other post covid issues that are very concerning.
I’m pretty sure what I’m about to say isn’t going to clear this up for you at all, Luna, but here goes. My 12 year old son’s birthday is January 8. His pediatrician advised me to wait until he turned 12, so he could get the vaccine all of us got, not the 5 + kiddie version, which came out a few months before he turned 12.
Admittedly, I have a giant of a kid, he’s almost taller than me, and I am 5’8″, but still. I suspect science was erring on the side of caution, which should always be the case when tiny humans are involved.
After being super careful since the pandemic started, I recently went maskless at a public event, and I got Covid. despite the numbers being down. Not the fun kind where people are asymptomatic, the bad kind where I’ve been like a wounded animal holed up in misery for days. I asked my doctor when I should get my 2nd booster, and he laughed and said, “This was it!” but advised me to wait for fall’s “tweaked” version, which will be more effective. against other variants.
The only upside to having been vaxxed and then getting the illness, is that you are technically
“super” boosted. Your antibody response, if your body is being typically responsive, will be off the charts, and with just this exposure, you are far more protected than those who’ve been vaxxed and double boosted!
I’m hoping you will be on the mend asafp Nikki. I got all the vaccines and boosters (but I’m also immunocompromised) and I too have the virus now. It’s not the asymptomatic type, either. I don’t want anyone else to get this, it’s awful. Please stay safe celebitches.
And yet we can’t vaccinate our youngest. So sick of waiting!
I’m sorry for everyone still waiting on vaccines for their children. I am boosted and recently got covid after being masked at a show..or the office ..? I had symptoms for 6 days and 3 of those days were pretty awful with fevers and body pain. I was not expecting it to be so rough. Scares me for unprotected children and older folks. I hope the next vaccine/booster is very effective and children can get them soon.
I’m hoping that the virus mutates and becomes less and less severe. My understanding is that is what scientists believe is currently happening. I have a two year old and my husband and her had sniffles, low fever and some coughing for a few days. My husband took a couple covid tests that were negative but they are rapid ones so not that accurate and I know all these new strands aren’t even being detected with the current tests so IDK. Its like the worst game of is it covid, the flu, a random bug, allergies, who even knows! I give my kid extra zinc, D and other vitamins to keep her immune system up and get her outside as much as possible. I know covid isn’t going anywhere but fingers crossed it gets more and more mild and we can protect the most vulnerable.
My initial and 2nd was Moderna and my booster was Pfizer. I am patiently waiting to hear about booster number 2 for under 55. But at the same time, I am down for waiting for this booster. Fall will be here before we all know it.
“But it isn’t science failing us, it’s humans.”
This.