Days after BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 surpassed BA.5 — the long-standing dominant COVID-19 subvariant — Moderna said its bivalent booster showed "robust neutralizing activity" against BQ.1.1 and had a 15.1-fold increase against BA.4 and BA.5.
In a study of more than 500 adults, Moderna's BA.4/BA.5-targeted vaccine proved a "superior" response three months after inoculation, according to the Nov. 14 news release.
Pfizer has not indicated whether it is testing its modified booster for its effectiveness against BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, which currently account for 44.2 percent of U.S. cases, according to CDC data.