The first participants in Moderna’s trial assessing new variant-specific booster shots have been vaccinated, the company announced. The new vaccines target a coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa, which has demonstrated reduced vaccine efficacy.
Moderna is testing three variations of a booster among 60 vaccinated participants. First, it will study the variant-specific jab, which will be given at a lower dose than its original vaccine (20 micrograms), and will require an evaluation and an approved amendment to the original emergency use authorization from the FDA before distribution to the public, should the results of the trial prove promising.
Secondly, Moderna said it plans to study a combination of the original vaccine and the variant-specific one in a single jab at 50 micrograms. Lastly, it will study the effects of the variant booster shot at a higher…