Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is effective against new variants of the virus that first appeared in the UK and South Africa, the company announced on Monday.
Yes but: The vaccine was just as effective against the UK strain, but showed a six-fold reduction in antibodies against the South African variant. Even so, the neutralizing antibodies generated by the vaccine “remain above the levels expected to be protective,” according to the company.
What to watch: Moderna now says it is developing an additional booster dose against the South African strain, and another booster to combat other emerging strains. The test results of Moderna have not yet been peer-reviewed.
Go deeper: What you need to know about new coronavirus variants