(NewsNation) —Moderna announced it has created a COVID-19 booster vaccine that will help give immunity against the omicron variant of the virus that has killed over 1 million Americans over the past two years.
This vaccine would be given as a fourth dose, or second booster, for those already full vaccinated. Moderna said in a trial of over 800 people, the shot raised antibodies against the omicron variant by eight times. It will send the trial data to regulators in coming weeks, after which it will be subject to approval.
With a fourth dose possibly on the horizon, less than 80% of Americans are fully vaccinated, begging the question, how much will a fourth shot change the COVID-19 landscape and will those who haven’t been vaccinated get the shot?
Peter Pitts, the former FDA commissioner, joined NewsNation’s “Rush Hour” to discuss what this fourth shot could mean in the fight against the virus and how it could be used to get more people vaccinated.
“When you have about 20 or 30% of the country that has had no vaccination, you have to figure out how to approach this vaccine hesitancy,” Pitts said. “Explain to people that we have a new booster shot that is specifically designed to focus on omicron and might convince people to do the right thing.”
Pitts’ full interview can be viewed above.