Moderna announces promising results from next-generation Covid jab trials

The vaccine, which Moderna has said is its lead candidate for an autumn booster programme, also worked well when compared with a shot of Moderna’s original vaccine.

Other firms are also working on vaccines that more specifically target Omicron after the variant was found to evade some of the protection offered by the first crop of vaccines.

Experts hope the newer jabs could help protect against a wider range of variants and may be helpful in protecting against new variants that might emerge.

Durable protection

Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said: “Looking at these data alongside the durability we saw with our first bivalent booster candidate, mRNA-1273.211, we anticipate more durable protection against variants of concern with mRNA-1273.214, making it our lead candidate for a Fall 2022 booster.

“We are submitting our preliminary data and analysis to regulators with the hope that the Omicron-containing bivalent booster will be available in the late summer.”

Last month Health Minister Eluned Morgan confirmed the Welsh Government will follow the interim advice issued by the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to provide an autumn Covid-19 booster programme in preparation for winter.

The committee recommends that those in older age groups, residents in care homes for older adults, frontline health and social care workers, and those with certain underlying health conditions receive a booster vaccine ahead of the winter period.

This will help protect against hospital admission and death during a period when individuals and the health service are at their most vulnerable, the JCVI said.