Moderna's new booster produces stronger response against Omicron
June 9, 2022, 12:02 pm

Moderna's new booster produces stronger response against Omicron

Moderna Covid-19 vaccine/Pixabay

The Euronews reported, citing Reuters, Moderna Inc said on Wednesday (June 8) an upgraded version of its coronavirus vaccine produced a better immune response as a booster dose against the Omicron variant than the original shot in a study.

It said that the trial results raised the company’s hopes that the vaccine will be used in an inoculation drive in the fall season. Moderna will submit the data to regulators “in the coming weeks”, and expects it to get clearance in late summer.

As the overall demand for vaccinations declines, companies have shifted gears and are targeting a more competitive booster dose market.

This photo shows a bottle reading “Vaccine COVID-19” next to the Moderna logo. (AFP)

In the study, which did not measure vaccine effectiveness, the booster, mRNA-1273.214, raised virus-neutralizing antibodies by eight-fold against Omicron.

Moderna has been studying the so-called bivalent vaccine, which targets both Omicron and the original coronavirus strain to determine if it works better against the variant.

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Several studies have shown that vaccine immunity starts to wane over time, and the Omicron variant partially evades some protection from two doses.

Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel in a statement said: “We anticipate more durable protection against variants of concern with mRNA-1273.214, making it our lead candidate for a Fall 2022 booster."

Source: euronews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”