Moderna vaccine added to COVID-19 booster arsenal
The provisional tick for the mRNA vaccine comes as UK data show heterologous schedules are ‘non-inferior’
A major study shows a booster dose of Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in a heterologous schedule increases immunogenicity compared with a homologous regime.
Neutralising antibodies are lower, however, with use of the Novavax protein-based vaccine as a booster.
The results are timely for GPs as the TGA announced on Wednesday it had provisionally approved the use of Moderna’s Spikevax as a booster shot for adults following any of the primary courses approved in Australia.
The UK-based Com-COV2 study tested both Moderna’s vaccine and the Novavax vaccine, which is expected to also be approved by the TGA within weeks, as part of heterologous schedules for patients initially vaccinated with Pfizer’s Comirnaty or AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria.
