--- title: "Moderna Says Its Vaccine Is Effective Against New COVID Variants" description: "COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna claims its vaccine appears to work against two new highly transmissible variants of the coronavirus." date: "2021-01-25" modified: "2021-01-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/moderna-vaccine-maker-effective-new-covid-variants" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Pathogens" - "Viruses" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "moderna" - "pfizer" - "vaccines" --- # Moderna Says Its Vaccine Is Effective Against New COVID Variants ![COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna claims its vaccine appears to work against two new highly transmissible variants of the coronavirus.]() *\Image: Pixnio\* COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna [says that new research shows]() that its vaccine appears to work against new highly transmissible variants of the coronavirus found in the UK and South Africa, according to early lab tests. The company is also working on accelerating the development of a booster shot as well as "an emerging variant booster candidate" that could offer up greater protection against these strains. "Out of an abundance of caution and leveraging the flexibility of our mRNA platform, we are advancing an emerging variant booster candidate against the variant first identified in the Republic of South Africa into the clinic to determine if it will be more effective to boost titers against this and potentially future variants,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in [a statement](). The two new variants are currently circulating around the globe, with experts suggesting the UK variant could be [up to 70 percent more transmissible]() than previous strains. The news comes after vaccine maker Pfizer, in collaboration with BioNTech, [said earlier this month]() that its vaccine also appears to be effective against the new strains. It's still too early to tell for sure whether either vaccine is indeed completely effective against the new strains. Moderna's study, conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has yet to be peer reviewed and only involved eight Phase 1 clinical trial participants. UK experts believe the new UK strain of the coronavirus could be [30 to 40 percent deadlier]() and up to 70 percent more transmissible. The strain has already made its way across large swathes of the globe, playing a major role in countless spikes of new COVID-19 cases. ## 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]()