Moderna's booster raises antibody levels by 80 times against Omicron

The company said a two-dose course of its vaccine generated low neutralising antibodies against the Omicron variant

Moderna Inc said on Monday that a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine appeared to be protective against the fast-spreading Omicron variant in laboratory testing and that the current version of the vaccine would continue to be Moderna’s "first line of defence against Omicron." The vaccine maker said the decision to focus on the current vaccine, mRNA-1273, was driven in part by how quickly the recently discovered variant is spreading. 

"What we have available right now is 1273," Dr Paul Burton, Moderna's Chief Medical Officer, said in an interview. "It's highly effective, and it's extremely safe. I think it will protect