Good Day BIO: Why vaccines can keep Omicron from being the Grinch

Before we sign off for the break, we have an update on Omicron—and why, despite the bad news, vaccines can help us keep the holiday spirit. Meanwhile, biotech's also helping to keep our holiday traditions alive—and sustainable. (530 words, 2 minutes, 39 seconds)

Good Day BIO will take a publishing break from December 22-January 2. We’ll be in touch if there’s major news, but we plan to resume normal publication on Monday, January 3, 2022. We hope you enjoy a restful, joyful, and safe holiday!

Why vaccines can keep Omicron from being the Grinch

While Omicron has many of us changing holiday plans, one thing remains certain: biotechnology is continuing to provide innovations to address the pandemic—and allow us to have a little bit of holiday cheer.

Omicron, by the numbers: The Omicron variant accounted for 73% of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S. last week, reported the AP—up from 13% the previous week, a six-fold increase. 

Early data shows boosters offer excellent protection. Moderna announced yesterday that the currently authorized 50 microgram booster “increased neutralizing antibody levels against Omicron approximately 37-fold compared to pre-boost levels,” while a 100 microgram dose increased them 83-fold. 

What about breakthrough cases, though? “Vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is likely to be much lower than against earlier variants, but they may still offer substantial protection against severe disease, a new analysis suggests,” Reuters reported.

More breaking vaccine news: Novavax’s vaccine is authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO) and EU, the company announced yesterday. “The biggest impact will likely be in the developing world as the American company has promised over 1 billion doses to the WHO-backed COVAX initiative. The vaccine can be stored at normal refrigerator temperatures and proved highly effective in clinical trials,” explains Axios. 

So, what should you do? Keep doing what you were doing to protect yourself and your community, as we previously explained. And if you need to, use the holiday break to catch up on your vaccines, like your COVID-19 booster and flu shot. 

Do you have questions about the vaccines—or maybe a hesitant family member you’re planning to see over the holidays? Get the facts at www.COVIDVaccineFacts.org.

How biotech is keeping holiday traditions alive—and sustainable

While we’re getting ready for another year of holiday celebrations at home, we can toast to biotech innovation, which is ensuring our favorite traditions are resilient in the face of climate change.

What are the holidays without champagne? Gloomy—which is why we’re glad the Comité Champagne has teamed up with the French National Institute for Agricultural Research to develop climate-tolerant grapes to keep the bubbles flowing in the future. 

While we’re counting down to midnight in our pajamas, we might as well throw some glitter—which biotech’s also improving. Researchers have developed a biodegradable cellulose-based glitter that’s better for the environment without sacrificing shine, Fast Company reports.

Love a chocolate Santa in your stocking? Biotech is using gene editing to develop cacao trees that are resistant to blights and fungi that threaten them. 

Biotech’s got the packaging covered, too—developing all kinds of biobased and biodegradable plastic alternatives. 

It might not feel like there’s much to celebrate, but we are toasting biotech, which is making everything from our holiday feasts to our party dresses more sustainable—so that when we come out on the other side of this year, we can be sure we’re doing everything we can to make the future cleaner and brighter.

President Biden’s Tuesday: He will deliver remarks at 2:30 PM ET on COVID-19. 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Democrats are weighing their options for a “path forward” on Build Back Better, says The Hill—but don’t expect major news until 2022.