A new study by Pfizer and BioNTech suggests that their updated coronavirus booster is better than its predecessor at increasing the antibody levels of people older than 55 against the most common version of the virus now circulating.
U.S. officials are hoping that the encouraging results will improve what has so far been a dismal public response to the retooled shots. Only about 8% of Americans age 5 and older have received the new boosters from Pfizer and Moderna since they were introduced in September.
Pfizer and BioNTech announced the study results in a news release Friday. The companies said that one month after getting the new booster, clinical trial participants older than 55 had antibody levels that were about four times as high as those who received the original booster. The study measured the levels of neutralizing antibodies against two sister subvariants of omicron known as BA.4 and BA.5.