Moderna Working on , Vaccine Booster That Targets, the Omicron Variant.<br />The Associated Press reports that Moderna <br />is developing an updated COVID-19 booster that <br />offers protection against the omicron variant.<br />On April 19, the pharmaceutical company <br />released data suggesting that work on <br />the updated booster was making progress.<br />Prior to the emergence of omicron, Moderna <br />had been developing a booster with added <br />protection against the beta variant of coronavirus.<br />According to the company, people who received<br />that specific booster produced more antibodies <br />capable of fighting a number of variants.<br />AP reports that the omicron variant is able <br />to more easily slip past the immune system's <br />defenses than the original coronavirus.<br />According to health officials, distributing <br />boosters every few months does not present <br />a practical solution to the mutating virus.<br />As a result, Moderna and its rival Pfizer are testing "bivalent" shots which mixes each company's original vaccine with an updated omicron version. .<br />As a result, Moderna and its rival Pfizer are testing "bivalent" shots which mixes each company's original vaccine with an updated omicron version. .<br />Moderna's bivalent shot <br />reportedly includes 32 variant <br />mutations of the coronavirus.<br />Studies on the new bivalent shots are currently underway in the United States and Britain. .<br />Results from the studies are expected by late June
