Omicron-specific booster not needed right now, RITM cites US study

There is no significant difference in the protection offered by the Moderna COVID-19 booster vaccine and the Moderna Omicron-specific booster dose against the more transmissible Omicron variant, a study showed.

At the DOH Kapihan Wednesday, Dr. Mario Jiz of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine cited a study conducted by a US-based laboratory showing that non-human primates were boosted with the original dose and the Omicron-specific dose.

Data showed that the neutralizing antibodies of those vaccinated with the original dose had an increase of 2,980 against Omicron two weeks after receiving the booster shot.

Meanwhile, the antibodies of those given the Omicron-specific booster rose to 1,930 after two weeks.

"Collectively, the data showed that boosting with either the same homologous Moderna vaccine that we are currently providing to everybody right now or the exploratory Omicron-variant vaccine, they both lead to comparable and significant increases in neutralizing antibody responses against all variants of concern, including Omicron," Jiz said.

"So again, the booster that we're giving now is effective against Omicron so we don't need to have an Omicron-specific vaccine, for now, kasi the current vaccines that we have are already effective against Omicron," he added.

On Tuesday, the country reported another record low in COVID-19 tally this year with 1,019 cases, bringing the nationwide total to 3,654,284.—AOL, GMA News