Moderna reports its new COVID-19 booster offers enhanced protection from Omicron

Yahoo Finance Live examines data from Moderna indicating the heightened efficacy of its latest booster vaccine against the Omicron variant.

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SEANA SMITH: My play today Moderna, leading the S&P higher on data showing that its new Omicron booster provides more protection against BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants and 6 times more antibodies against BA.5 than those without prior infections. The company also said it triggered robust immune response to emerging COVID subvariant BQ.1.1. Now BA.5 now accounts for less than 1/3 of new cases. BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, though, account for about 44% of new cases.

Dave, the big question here is how many people are going to be willing and how many people actually follow through with these booster shots. We know, at least over the last several months, we haven't really seen a large uptake, but at least, investors encouraged by this data today.

DAVE BRIGGS: How about you? Have you gone back?

SEANA SMITH: I have. I actually did it--

DAVE BRIGGS: Nobody I know-- is that right?

SEANA SMITH: Yes, two weeks ago.

DAVE BRIGGS: Because I took a non-scientific poll, and no one in my entire circle had gone back.

SEANA SMITH: I'm very protected.

DAVE BRIGGS: And no one had any intention to. You have young children. That probably is the exception. Mine are a bit older, but yes, that's a good point. Also Janet Yellen had some comments on-- that we have offered China our own mRNA vaccines. And she said they're not interested in taking us up on that. We hope they do for their own sake and the sake of the entire world. Let's hope they do. Perhaps that could change the reopening story that continues to evolve.