What vaccine makers are saying

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   https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/26/health/omicron-variant-what-we-know/index.html

In a Friday news release, Moderna said it was rapidly working to test the ability of its vaccine to neutralize the variant and data is expected in the coming weeks.
The strain includes mutations "seen in the Delta variant that are believed to increase transmissibility and mutations seen in the Beta and Delta variants that are believed to promote immune escape," Moderna said. "The combination of mutations represents a significant potential risk to accelerate the waning of natural and vaccine-induced immunity."
If its current vaccine and booster are insufficient against the variant, one possible solution is boosting people with a larger dose, which Moderna said it is testing. The company is also evaluating two multivalent booster candidates to see if they provide better protection against Omicron -- both of which include some of the viral mutations present in the variant.
Moderna said it is also testing an Omicron-specific booster.
"For several days, we have been moving as fast as possible to execute our strategy to address this variant," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in the news release.
AstraZeneca also said it was looking to understand the impact Omicron has on its vaccine, which is not currently authorized for use in the US.
"AstraZeneca is also already conducting research in locations where the variant has been identified, namely in Botswana and Eswatini, that will enable us to collect real world data of Vaxzevria against this new virus variant," a spokesperson for the company said Friday.
The company also said it is testing its antibody treatment, AZD7442, against the variant. AstraZeneca asked the US Food and Drug Administration in October to authorize emergency use of the treatment.
Scientists at BioNTech, the German company that partnered with Pfizer to make its Covid-19 vaccine, are also investigating the impact of the variant on their shot, with data expected within the next couple of weeks.
A Johnson & Johnson spokesperson told CNN in a statement the company was also testing the effectiveness of its vaccine against Omicron.

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Pixie Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: June 05 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 19668	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pixie Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Topic: What vaccine makers are saying Posted: November 26 2021 at 5:51pm
	https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/26/health/omicron-variant-what-we-know/index.html In a Friday news release, Moderna said it was rapidly working to test the ability of its vaccine to neutralize the variant and data is expected in the coming weeks. The strain includes mutations "seen in the Delta variant that are believed to increase transmissibility and mutations seen in the Beta and Delta variants that are believed to promote immune escape," Moderna said. "The combination of mutations represents a significant potential risk to accelerate the waning of natural and vaccine-induced immunity." If its current vaccine and booster are insufficient against the variant, one possible solution is boosting people with a larger dose, which Moderna said it is testing. The company is also evaluating two multivalent booster candidates to see if they provide better protection against Omicron -- both of which include some of the viral mutations present in the variant. Moderna said it is also testing an Omicron-specific booster. "For several days, we have been moving as fast as possible to execute our strategy to address this variant," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in the news release. AstraZeneca also said it was looking to understand the impact Omicron has on its vaccine, which is not currently authorized for use in the US. "AstraZeneca is also already conducting research in locations where the variant has been identified, namely in Botswana and Eswatini, that will enable us to collect real world data of Vaxzevria against this new virus variant," a spokesperson for the company said Friday. The company also said it is testing its antibody treatment, AZD7442, against the variant. AstraZeneca asked the US Food and Drug Administration in October to authorize emergency use of the treatment. Scientists at BioNTech, the German company that partnered with Pfizer to make its Covid-19 vaccine, are also investigating the impact of the variant on their shot, with data expected within the next couple of weeks. A Johnson & Johnson spokesperson told CNN in a statement the company was also testing the effectiveness of its vaccine against Omicron.