NPR: Moderna says its new ‘bivalent’ vaccine shows promise against COVID variants

Moderna has announced the development of a new version of their COVID-19 vaccine. A study has shown the vaccine to be stronger, longer-lasting, and more effective against variants than the original vaccine. The vaccine is intended to target the original strain of COVID-19 and the beta variant, making this vaccine “bivalent”. The pharmaceutical company is aiming to make the vaccine available by fall to protect people against a winter surge. This study on the bivalent vaccine has received outside criticism due to it not being reviewed by independent scientists. Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease expert at Kaiser Health News, said Moderna’s announcement was misleading because it compared antibodies from three doses of the new vaccine to two doses of the original vaccine. The full article by Rob Stein can be read here on NPR. For more on COVID-19 vaccines click here.