Moderna's Updated COVID Vaccine Proven Effective Against New Variant

Moderna announced that its updated COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be effective against the highly-mutated BA.2.86 subvariant of the coronavirus. Clinical trial data showed that the vaccine generated an 8.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against BA.2.86. This variant has raised concerns due to its potential to cause infections in individuals previously infected or vaccinated. Moderna has shared the findings with regulators and submitted them for peer review publication. The retooled vaccine is expected to be available later this month or in early October.