Moderna's omicron-specific booster won't be ready before summer, the company's chief medical officer says.
Download theOne of the benefits of mRNA vaccines that sets them apart from others is how quickly they can be made, though scientists still must take time to demonstrate that the shots actually work and prepare data to be scrutinized by federal regulators.
Dr. Jesse Goodman, an infectious disease specialist at Georgetown University Medical Center and a former chief scientist with the FDA, said it’s still important to have an omicron-specific vaccine available because another dangerous variant could emerge that is more closely related to omicron than it is to prior strains.
Scientists constantly monitor influenza strains and, each year, select three to four that they think will be circulating widely to include in the flu vaccine. He said it’ll take a couple more months before the modified vaccine has been adequately tested in people and the company can analyze the blood samples. The final decision to seek the FDA’s OK will be guided by science and discussions with federal regulators, he added.