Moderna’s updated COVID-19 shot shows ‘significant boost’ in antibodies against ‘Eris’ variant

[ThatRobGuy]

Moderna’s updated COVID-19 shot shows ‘significant boost’ in antibodies against ‘Eris’ strain

Moderna’s updated COVID-19 shot, set to be deployed this fall, induced a “significant boost” of antibodies of the EG.5 omicron subvariant, nicknamed the Eris strain, according to …

thehill.com

Moderna’s updated COVID-19 shot, set to be deployed this fall, induced a “significant boost” of antibodies of the EG.5 omicron subvariant, nicknamed the Eris strain, according to preliminary clinical trial data from the company.

When Moderna filed for authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its updated shot earlier this year, it cited how its vaccine contained spike proteins for the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant, which was the dominant strain in the U.S. at the time of filing.


The Eris subvariant has since grown to command a small majority of cases in the U.S., accounting for 17.3 percent of cases. Similarly descending from the XBB omicron subvariant, it is closely related to XBB.1.5, and cross-protection is likely to occur.


I included the poll question, because now that we're no longer in a place where getting it helps anyone else, I'm curious as to how many people are planning on getting this one, and how many people are planning on sitting this one out.

For people who have severe comorbidities and are likely more prone to having serious outcomes, I understand them wanting to get it.

But given that this strain, thus far, is showing to be pretty mild (like it's Omicron predecessor), with the most common symptoms being fatigue, sore throat, and headache, I don't know if there's any real motivation race out for this particular booster.

Dr. Paul Offit (who's pro-vaccine, and is a member of the CDC advisory board) had noted, during the rollout of the bivalent booster (which was shot #4 or #5 for some people), that it's time to rethink boosters, and that the data doesn't support the necessity to rush out and constantly keep chasing variants with boosters for the majority of people.

He said it becomes a pattern of diminishing returns, and that spending millions and millions of dollars in campaigns to encourage mass uptake of boosters (and billions for the booster doses themselves) for, otherwise healthy, people doesn't make sense if the only benefit of it is that the person, who was going to have a mild case anyway, can have a slightly more mild case if/when they catch it within 3 months of receiving the booster.

I took the original 2-dose protocol, and the first booster when it was offered, and have had 2 prior infections. I passed on the bivalent booster...being a person at a healthy weight, no preexisting conditions, and knowing that this new booster is only going to make it slightly less mild when I catch it and won't stop me from spreading, and given that my most recent antibody test (2 months ago) showed that I still had "moderate" antibodies to the spike, and "high" antibodies to the nucleocapsid, I think I'll be passing on this one too.

 

[PloverWing]

My physician's recommendation, when I asked her about boosters earlier this summer, was to get an annual COVID booster, much in the way that we get our annual flu shots.

The diseases seem to have taken similar paths. Both started out lethal, and mutated into a collection of variants that are serious nuisances but not usually lethal. Both diseases are mutating all the time now. So, the annual booster for both makes sense to me.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

I'm with Plover. As I'm Type 2 diabetic, I've been early to get the shots. I see my doctor in a few weeks so I'll ask him if and when I should get it. Maybe this time the shot will convert my DNA so I look like Jason Mamoa (or at least that's what my wife keeps hoping for!)

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I'm with Plover. As I'm Type 2 diabetic, I've been early to get the shots. I see my doctor in a few weeks so I'll ask him if and when I should get it. Maybe this time the shot will convert my DNA so I look like Jason Mamoa (or at least that's what my wife keeps hoping for!)

I totally get why a person with a comorbidity would pursue it... I have several family members who get a variety of vaccines every year due to those reasons that most people wouldn't even think about getting. (for instance, I have some family members who get meningococcal vaccines on a scheduled basis...I (and most people) wouldn't even think about that due to the fact that my doctor has literally never mentioned it to me.

But I think the communal attitude of "everyone should get this to do your part" (as to imply that you're creating a huge risk for everyone else in society) went out the door with the Alpha variant.

 

[godisagardener]

I'm not getting the booster. Didn't get the last one. My husband is 70. His doctor says get a booster if he wants to, doesn't push getting it, so he won't. My mom is 93 years old, has high blood pressure, probably early stages of COPD. Her cardiologist recommended against the last booster. She didn't get it and hasn't been advised to get the new one. She doesn't plan on getting it. I think she's tired of the whole thing.

We all last got a booster at least a year and a half ago. We live our lives normally and no doubt have been exposed to various strains of the virus over and over again. If any of us have had it, we didn't know it!

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Maybe this time the shot will convert my DNA so I look like Jason Mamoa (or at least that's what my wife keeps hoping for!)

Separate reply to this bit...

There's a different kind of substance that needs to be in the syringe in order to achieve the Mamoa physique lol

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

FYI, I also work in a hospital and our residential areas have gone back to requiring masks. So they are concerned about this new variant.