Drug companies are testing new methods to improve the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, using combination shots or nasal drops. They hope the continued research will help strengthen resistance to a continuously changing coronavirus. The first COVID-19 vaccines remain protective against serious sickness, hospitalization and death, especially after a booster dose. However, drug companies are facing growing pressure to develop vaccines better at fighting off milder infections. Updating vaccines to match the latest variants is risky, because future variants could be very different. So, companies are considering something like a flu vaccine, which offers protection against three or four different strains in one shot every year. Moderna and Pfizer are testing 2-in-1 COVID-19 protection that they hope to offer this fall. Each “bivalent” shot would mix the original, proven vaccine with an omicron-targeted version. Moderna has some early evidence that the idea could work. It tested a combination shot that targeted the original version of the virus and an earlier variant named beta. It found vaccine recipients developed limited levels of antibodies capable of fighting not just beta but also newer variants like omicron. Moderna now is testing its omicron-targeted bivalent candidate.
Title: Researchers Explore Improvements to COVID Vaccines
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/B.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Researchers Explore Improvements to COVID Vaccines' data-article-id='6085'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='12146'>Drug companies are testing new methods to improve the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, using combination shots or nasal drops.</span> <span data-start-time='12146' data-end-time='20313'>They hope the continued research will help strengthen resistance to a continuously changing coronavirus.</span> <span data-start-time='20313' data-end-time='33063'>The first COVID-19 vaccines remain protective against serious sickness, hospitalization and death, especially after a booster dose.</span> <span data-start-time='33063' data-end-time='42917'>However, drug companies are facing growing pressure to develop vaccines better at fighting off milder infections.</span> <span data-start-time='42917' data-end-time='51625'>Updating vaccines to match the latest variants is risky, because future variants could be very different. </span> <span data-start-time='51625' data-end-time='64729'>So, companies are considering something like a flu vaccine, which offers protection against three or four different strains in one shot every year.</span> <span data-start-time='64729' data-end-time='73167'>Moderna and Pfizer are testing 2-in-1 COVID-19 protection that they hope to offer this fall. </span> <span data-start-time='73167' data-end-time='81667'>Each “bivalent” shot would mix the original, proven vaccine with an omicron-targeted version.</span> <span data-start-time='81667' data-end-time='86938'>Moderna has some early evidence that the idea could work. </span> <span data-start-time='86938' data-end-time='96521'>It tested a combination shot that targeted the original version of the virus and an earlier variant named beta. </span> <span data-start-time='96521' data-end-time='108604'>It found vaccine recipients developed limited levels of antibodies capable of fighting not just beta but also newer variants like omicron. </span> <span data-start-time='108604' data-end-time='114146'>Moderna now is testing its omicron-targeted bivalent candidate.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/B29.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18557 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_nasal.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word nasal?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='of or relating to the nose'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/of_or_relating_to_the_nose.wav'><span>of or relating to the nose</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/of_or_relating_to_the_feet.wav'><span>of or relating to the feet</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/of_or_relating_to_the_teeth.wav'><span>of or relating to the teeth</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/of_or_relating_to_the_knee.wav'><span>of or relating to the knee</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18558 data-hint-location='64729' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/when_do_drug_companies_hope_to_be_able_to_offer_the_new_2in1_protection.wav'>When do drug companies hope to be able to offer the new 2-in-1 protection?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='this fall'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/this_summer.wav'><span>this summer</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/this_fall.wav'><span>this fall</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/last_fall.wav'><span>last fall</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/this_winter.wav'><span>this winter</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18559 data-hint-location='20313' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/the_first_covid19_vaccines_remain_protective_against_serious_sickness_hospitalization_and_death_especially_after_a__blank__dose.wav'>The first COVID-19 vaccines remain protective against serious sickness, hospitalization and death, especially after a <span class='blank'>booster</span> dose.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='booster'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/booster.wav'><span>booster</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/duster.wav'><span>duster</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/rooster.wav'><span>rooster</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5522/boots.wav'><span>boots</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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