Moderna, Inc. (MRNA), (BNTX) – Moderna Plans COVID-19 Recall Shots: What You Need To Know

Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) plans to test the effectiveness of booster injections of the COVID-19 vaccine one year after the initial doses of the vaccine are administered to an individual, CNBC reported Thursday.

What happened: The biotech company plans to begin the booster study in adult participants in July, CEO Stéphane Bancel announced in a company presentation at the 39th annual JP Morgan Healthcare conference on Monday.

Moderna medical director Tal Zaks told the conference that the company expects the immunity generated by the vaccine to last at least a year, CNBC reported. Zaks added that Moderna would make a “data-driven recommendation” on the degree to which recalls might be needed.

The first participants in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial received their vaccines in March, CNBC noted. Those who received less than the 100 microgram dose ultimately authorized by the Food and Drug Administration will receive their booster test injection earlier than a year, while those who received injections of 100 micrograms or more will receive the booster dose after one year.

See also: FDA warns Pfizer’s tinkering, Moderna vaccine regimens after White House adviser comments

Why is this important: Moderna COVID-19 vaccine received emergency use authorization from the FDA in December and is the only vaccine currently authorized in addition Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) candidate.

Medical experts have looked at the duration of neutralizing antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines.

A preliminary analysis in a relatively small study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that – for some members of the older population – the vaccination could last less than a year, as Forbes reports.

Bancel said earlier this month that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine could provide protection for a few years, but more data was needed to make a definitive statement, as Reuters reported.

Price action: Moderna shares closed up 4.5% at $ 129.72 on Thursday. Stocks added another 0.6% in the after-hours session.

See also: Moderna Teams Up With Uber For COVID-19 Vaccination: What You Need To Know