A new vaccine candidate combining a yearly inoculation against the flu with a COVID-19 booster in a single jab was announced by the US pharmaceutical firm Moderna on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2021) A new vaccine candidate combining a yearly inoculation against the flu with a COVID-19 booster in a single jab was announced by the US pharmaceutical firm Moderna on Tuesday.
"Today we are announcing the first step in our novel respiratory vaccine program with the development of a single dose vaccine that combines a booster against COVID-19 and a booster against flu," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a press release.
Moderna also provided updated results of the latest phase 3 trial of its existing two-jab coronavirus vaccine, showing 93 percent efficacy with effectiveness remaining durable through six months following the second shot.
"In this analysis, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine showed 98.2% efficacy against severe COVID-19 disease and 100% efficacy against death caused by COVID-19," the release said.
Unlike rival Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, Moderna's jabs have yet to receive full approval from the US food and Drug Administration (FDA) but continue to be used with an FDA emergency use authorization.
The release also updated Moderna's efforts to develop and test vaccines against other diseases including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which infects lungs and airways mainly in infants but can occur in people of all ages.
In addition, the release contained updates on an experimental cancer vaccine and an inoculation against the Epstein-Barr virus, a cause of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Overall, Moderna has 34 vaccine candidates under development, including 22 in ongoing clinical trials, according to the release.
