Biotechnology company Moderna announced today that its COVID-19 vaccine remains effective against two new variants of the virus, first identified in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7) and South Africa (B.1.351). While the vaccine produces a strong immune response against both variants, Moderna revealed that the immune response against the South African variant is somewhat reduced.

According to Moderna, the vaccine still generates sufficient neutralizing antibodies to protect against both strains, though the company plans to develop a booster shot specifically targeting the South African variant to strengthen protection. The news comes as health authorities worldwide express concern over the increasing spread of these new variants, which appear to be more transmissible than earlier strains.

“We are encouraged by these new data, which reinforce our confidence that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine should be effective at inducing protection against these newly detected variants,” said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, in a press release. Bancel further emphasized the company’s commitment to updating its vaccine technology to address any evolving threats posed by future variants of the virus.

The UK variant, which has already spread to several countries, is believed to be more contagious than the original strain of the virus. However, data suggest that vaccines remain effective against it. The South African variant has raised more concerns due to its ability to partially evade some of the immune responses triggered by previous infections or vaccines.

Moderna’s announcement follows similar research findings from Pfizer-BioNTech, which confirmed that its vaccine also remains effective against the new variants, including the UK and South African strains.

To address the potential challenges posed by these variants, Moderna announced that it is working with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a booster shot that could be added to the existing two-dose regimen if needed in the future.

As new variants of the virus continue to emerge, global health authorities are closely monitoring the situation to ensure that vaccines remain effective in controlling the spread of COVID-19.