Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine remains highly protective six months after a person received their second shot, according to updated data released by biotechnology on Tuesday.
Just over 90% of the participants in the trial who received their full vaccinations half a year ago were not diagnosed with COVID-19, Moderna reports. The vaccine was even more effective against severe cases of the viral disease, which protected 95% of the participants in the trial.
A total of 900 cases of COVID-19 were reported among participants in Moderna’s late-stage clinical trial. The company would not say how many cases were in people who received the vaccine.
The long-term level of protection is slightly lower than the initial rate that Moderna reported after its late-stage clinical trial last year. However, the data help to show that the Moderna vaccine and the antibodies against diseases that help it create long-lasting endurance. Because COVID-19 vaccines have moved to the market so quickly due to the pandemic, experts are not sure how long the shots will remain effective.
The results of Moderna are consistent with the other messenger RNA vaccine available to Americans, made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. The vaccine was 91.3% effective in preventing all forms of COVID-19 and 95% effective in preventing serious diseases six months after it went into effect, Pfizer said on April 1.
More than 85 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine have been administered in the USA. The biotechnology has shipped more than 132 million doses worldwide.
Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, second from right in a Moderna plant.
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Test booster shots
Moderna is conducting two clinical trials evaluating how its vaccine works in children aged 6 months to 17 years. The biotechnology is also testing various strategies to address COVID-19 variants taking hold in the US.
One of the strategies is to give a third shot, known as a booster, specifically designed to address a virus variant first identified in South Africa.
The new shot has increased the levels of antibodies that can stop the virus in mice, Moderna said on Tuesday. This data has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
“The new preclinical data on our variant-specific vaccine candidates gives us confidence that we can proactively address emerging variants. Moderna will make as many updates to our COVID-19 vaccine as possible until the pandemic is under control,” said Stephane Bancel, CEO of Modern, said in a statement.