This is a positive development and validates mRNA vaccines as a general platform. Having said that, I'm pessimistic about the impact of vaccines on COVID. Despite a _gigantic_ global coordinated effort, most people on Earth are still unvaccinated. Even in countries where there is abundant access to vaccines (US), uptake has been less than optimal.
In Canada, >80% of people received two doses of vaccine whereas only ~60% have received a booster dose. I expect an even sharper drop-off for any future bivalent vaccine, regardless of how effective it is.
On the positive side, these results will encourage companies to pursue a multivalent strategy earlier in the future. We need to get to a point where we can fully utilize the flexibility of mRNA vaccine platforms. Multivalent should be the default and vaccines should be updated as new strains emerge. Currently the regulatory process doesn't allow that.
In Canada, >80% of people received two doses of vaccine whereas only ~60% have received a booster dose. I expect an even sharper drop-off for any future bivalent vaccine, regardless of how effective it is.
On the positive side, these results will encourage companies to pursue a multivalent strategy earlier in the future. We need to get to a point where we can fully utilize the flexibility of mRNA vaccine platforms. Multivalent should be the default and vaccines should be updated as new strains emerge. Currently the regulatory process doesn't allow that.