Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine effective against emerging subvariants Eris and Fornax

Moderna, a prominent name in COVID-19 vaccine development, announced on Thursday that preliminary data from an initial study showed that its updated COVID-19 vaccine was effective against the "Eris" and "Fornax" sub-variants.

The company, as per a Reuters report, said that it anticipates the availability of the updated vaccine in the upcoming weeks for the fall vaccination season. However, its release hinges on approvals from health regulators across the United States, Europe, and other regions.

Tackling Eris

With this, Moderna joins other key players in the field such as Novavax, Pfizer, and BioNTech SE, who have all created versions of their vaccines to tackle the XBB.1.5 sub-variant.

Also read | WHO designates new Covid strain ‘Eris’ as 'variant of interest' amid global surge in cases

EG.5, or Eris, as per Reuters, is similar to XBB.1.5, the sub-variant nicknamed 'Kraken' and is a sub-lineage of the dreaded, still-dominant Omicron variant.

As per the latest government data, Eris accounts for more than 17 per cent of coronavirus cases in the US. Additionally, infections from Fornax or FL 1.5.1 are also spiking across the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified EG.5 as a "variant of interest." The designation indicates that compared to other sub-variants, Eris needs to be carefully monitored due to its mutations, which might contribute to making it more contagious or severe.

Other anti-Eris vaccines

Pfizer has also announced significant progress in its updated COVID-19 vaccine, which was developed in collaboration with BioNTech. In a study conducted on mice, this new version exhibited neutralising activity against the Eris sub-variant.

Also read | England is likely in the grip of another Covid wave, UCL professor warns

COVID-19-related hospitalisations in the United States have surged by more than 40 per cent from the low figures recorded in June. However, despite this spike, the current hospitalisation numbers remain over 90 per cent lower than the peak levels observed during the Omicron outbreak in January 2022.

Globally, in July, reported cases of COVID-19 rose by 80 per cent. In its last week's update, WHO reported that between July 10 to August 6, nearly 1.5 million new cases — an 80 per cent increase compared to the previous 28 days — have been reported globally. As per the health agency, in mid-July, more than 17 per cent of all reported cases were EG.5, up from 7.6 per cent a month before.

(With inputs from agencies)

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