--- title: "Moderna Testing New Vaccine Designed to Protect Against Deadly Variant" description: "Moderna has announced it has created the first batch its new COVID-19 vaccine that protects people against a deadly new variant from South Africa." date: "2021-02-25" modified: "2021-02-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/moderna-testing-new-vaccine-deadly-variant" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "moderna" - "vaccine" - "vaccines" --- # Moderna Testing New Vaccine Designed to Protect Against Deadly Variant ![Moderna has announced it has created the first batch its new COVID-19 vaccine that protects people against a deadly new variant from South Africa.]() *\Image: Image via Pixabay\* Cambridge-based pharmaceutical Moderna has announced it has created the first batch its new COVID-19 vaccine that protects people against a [deadly variant]() of the virus that was first identified in South Africa, [*The Wall Street Journal* reports](). The batch has already been shipped to the National Institute of Health to be used in its first human study, which is set to commence within weeks. Moderna's existing COVID-19 vaccine is one of three American-made vaccines that have shown to be effective at giving people protection against COVID-19. Now, the company could become the first to finish lab work of a new shot designed to target new variants of the virus, according to the *Journal*. That's in large part thanks to the messenger RNA technology behind the vaccines, allowing scientists to make design and manufacturing changes on the fly. Other pharmaceuticals including [Pfizer]() and [Johnson & Johnson]() have also announced work on new versions of their vaccines and booster shots aimed at providing protection against newly identified strains. Some vaccines, particularly the one made by Oxford University and pharmaceutical AstraZeneca, [have shown]() significantly reduced efficacy against the South African variant. Other lab tests however have shown that some vaccines, including Pfizer and the one made by Moderna, [are still effective](), just not as effective as against the original strains of the virus. According to Moderna, the company will seek regulatory approval in Q3 of this year for its new vaccine, depending on lab test results. "Moderna is going to keep chasing those variants of concerns until this pandemic is fully under control," CEO Stephane Bancel told the *Journal*. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()