evidence: What about the vaccine’s effectiveness against the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant? Laboratory data suggest that the updated vaccines will generate an immune response that recognizes the BA.2.86 variant. This is especially good news after the initial concern surrounding the variant’s high number of mutations. Additionally, BA.2.86 has not caused a surge of cases in the countries where it’s been detected; it appears unable to compete with the other variants currently circulating. [...] That’s all to say that we’re now vaccinating a population that has some existing immunity, but ultimately updated vaccines will provide the safest and most effective protection against the currently circulating variants.