Shares of Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) jumped 12.2% on Monday after the biotechnology company said its COVID-19 vaccine provides protection against new coronavirus strains first identified in the U.K. and South Africa.
Scientists have discovered several new variants of the novel coronavirus that are more contagious -- and potentially more dangerous -- than previous versions. Doctors, in turn, have questioned whether Moderna's vaccine would be effective against the new strains.
Moderna said on Monday that its vaccine did provide protection against all the strains tested, including those found in the U.K. and South Africa, in a study conducted in collaboration with the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Source Fool.com