Moderna Vice President – “The Omikron booster will only come in summer”


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One year after the Moderna vaccination was approved for the market, European boss Dan Staner takes stock. The Vaudois about the booster vaccination, the Omikron variant and how things will continue for Moderna after the pandemic.

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Dan Staner, Vice President of Moderna, expects the Omikron variant to spread rapidly in Switzerland.

20min / Taddeo Cerletti

It is good that Switzerland is recommending booster vaccinations to everyone, said Staner.

It is good that Switzerland is recommending booster vaccinations to everyone, said Staner.

20min / Taddeo Cerletti

On Monday, Moderna announced its own preliminary booster data.  The 50 microgram booster currently approved in Europe and Switzerland increases the level of neutralizing antibodies against Omikron by 37 times.

On Monday, Moderna announced its own preliminary booster data. The 50 microgram booster currently approved in Europe and Switzerland increases the level of neutralizing antibodies against Omikron by 37 times.

REUTERS

  • Dan Staner is Vice President and Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Moderna.

  • He anticipates a strong spread of the Omikron variant and therefore recommends a booster vaccination for everyone.

  • Despite the booster, you should still adhere to the hygiene measures.

  • The Moderna vaccination, which has been adapted to the Omikron variant, is not expected until the summer of 2022, according to Staner.

Switzerland lags behind when it comes to boosting. Was the recommendation of the Federal Council too late?

I don’t think it was too late. In my opinion, the recommendation was correct that the vulnerable people should receive a booster vaccination first. Omikron has only recently been a problem – also because independent tests show that the first two vaccine doses do not protect against the variant well enough. In view of the fact that the majority of new infections in mid-January will be due to the Omikron variant, I think the booster vaccination is a good recommendation by the Swiss government. Anyone who cannot be boosted now will become infected with Omikron.

How well does the Moderna vaccine available today against Omikron work?

On Monday, Moderna announced its own preliminary booster data. The 50 microgram booster currently approved in Europe and Switzerland increases the level of neutralizing antibodies against Omikron by 37 times. This is a substantial increase that should provide adequate protection against omicrons. We also tested a booster dose of 100 micrograms, which increased the level of neutralizing antibodies by as much as 83 times.

“Anyone who cannot be boosted now will be infected with Omikron.”

Dan Staner

And what about the booster specially adapted to Omikron?

The clinical trials are expected to begin in early 2022. Delivery of the vaccine is not expected until summer 2022 – estimated between May and June.

How likely is it that we will have to boost ourselves every few months in the future?

Hard to say. We continue to monitor the epidemiological course and test, adapt and develop our vaccine so that it offers the best possible protection against the virus and its mutations. If further mutations occur, we will continue to adapt and develop our vaccine.

Can I behave “normally” again as a boosted person?

With the third booster dose, the level of neutralizing antibodies should be sufficient
Offer protection against the Omikron variant. However, all measures should be maintained to prevent further exponential expansion. We are still in the pandemic phase, the cases are increasing daily in many places. Therefore, we all have a responsibility to set up as many barriers as possible in order to break through the infection process. For example, the mask requirement should be retained.

There are still people who do not want to be vaccinated. Can you understand their fears and doubts?

We live in a democracy – everyone is free to make their own decision. However, many governments see the Omikron variant as a threat to the health system and the economy – and of course they also have a responsibility to protect their own population. Ultimately, however, I am convinced that everyone should make the decision whether to vaccinate or not.

The World Health Organization criticizes the fact that the West is boosted, but the global South is left out. Can you understand the criticism?

You cannot forbid western countries to protect their own people. For a year now, we have made our patent available and made it public that we will not enforce our intellectual property rights during the pandemic phase. However, the availability of our patent and the ability to manufacture our vaccine in industrial quantities are two very different things.

A good part of the vaccine doses produced in 2022 will be used in the global south. So it is important to vaccinate both in the north and in the south in order to prevent further mutations as far as possible.

“Vaccinating children is not an easy decision, I know that.”

Dan Staner

The application for the child vaccination of Moderna is still pending. Would you have your children vaccinated?

If I had young children, I would make the decision together with my wife and the pediatrician. It plays an important role whether parents, grandparents and other family members are vaccinated or at risk and are in close contact with the children. As long as the more vulnerable family members are protected by their own vaccination, one should be on the safe side. Vaccinating young children is of course not an easy decision, I understand that.

What’s next for Moderna after the pandemic?

Our vision is to produce an annual combination vaccine against respiratory diseases that will protect against seasonal flu, the latest questionable Covid-19 variant and the RSV virus in two to three years.

One vaccination per year would then be sufficient to cover all three viruses. We also develop
mRNA vaccines against other diseases – such as cancer, HIV or cardiovascular diseases. We are very confident that a number of these efforts will be successful in the years to come.

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