Moderna vaccine DOES protect against ‘deadlier mutant Covid strains’ – as they trial booster to fend off future variants

MODERNA says its coronavirus vaccine does offer protection against all mutant Covid strains to date.

This includes the new strain first detected in the UK that scientists say is more contagious than the original variant - and may be more deadly.

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Moderna said lab tests found that its jab produced neutralising antibodies against all key emerging variants, including the South African mutation.

However, the US company said trials are taking place to develop a new shot against the variant, dubbed 501.V2, to be safe.

The study showed no significant impact on antibodies against the UK variant relative to prior variants.

While there was a six-fold reduction in neutralising antibodies produced against the South African variant, the levels remained above those that are expected to be protective, Moderna said.

Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said: "As we seek to defeat the Covid-19 virus, which has created a worldwide pandemic, we believe it is imperative to be proactive as the virus evolves.

"We are encouraged by these new data, which reinforce our confidence that the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine should be protective against these newly-detected variants."

The UK Government has purchased 17 million doses of the Moderna vaccine - enough to vaccinate 8.5 million people, but the first doses are not expected to arrive in the country until the spring.

The biotech company is also launching a clinical trial to test an additional booster dose of its vaccine (mRNA-1273) to study the ability to further increase antibodies against emerging strains beyond the existing primary vaccination series.

The company is also advancing an emerging variant booster candidate (mRNA-1273.351) against the variant first identified in South Africa.

Mr Bancel added: "Out of an abundance of caution and leveraging the flexibility of our mRNA platform, we are advancing an emerging variant booster candidate against the variant first identified in the Republic of South Africa into the clinic to determine if it will be more effective to boost titers (antibodies) against this and potentially future variants."

The variant, which is more easily spread, has been detected in 77 coronavirus cases in the UK so far.

Today scientists said they had done some analysis on data in South Africa, finding “a hint of increased mortality”.

'VARIANT BOOSTER'

But they cautioned there has not been detailed research into the mortality of the South African variant, as there has been with the Kent one, so they cannot be confident in the finding.

Speaking at a virtual Science Media Centre briefing today, Nervtag member Prof John Edmunds, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “In terms of looking at the other variants, we have done some analysis on the South African variant. 

“There may be a hint of increased mortality. But we haven't been able to control... this is just doing analysis from a long way away.

“First of all, it's just a hint. Secondly, that is just looking at it very crudely, rather than what we've done here in the UK where we have matched people very carefully, with the new strain.

“That's the kind of study that has to be done to determine if there is an increased risk of death associated with the South African or Brazil variants, and that has not been done as far as I am aware. I've seen no data at all along those lines.”

The UK Government has purchased 17 million doses of the Moderna vaccine - enough to vaccinate 8.5 million people, but the first doses are not expected to arrive in the country until the spring.

It comes days after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there was "evidence in the public domain" that the new variant is more resistant to jabs, but cautioned that scientists are still carrying out tests.

He made the remarks during a web chat with travel agents this week, in which he explained that tough border restrictions may be needed for a long time to keep new variants of the virus out of the UK.