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Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine is considerably more effective at repelling the Delta variant of the virus than Pfizer-BioNTech inoculation, according to research conducted in several US states by the Mayo Clinic.
The study uploaded to medRxiv ahead of peer review this week found that while both vaccines were very effective at preventing infection in January, before Delta’s introduction – hovering around 90% – in July, l The effectiveness of both injections had dropped.
However, one was still much more efficient than the other – while Moderna was down to 76%, Pfizer was down to 42%. The study was carried out with more than 50,000 patients.
It is currently not known whether the decline in efficacy is the result of Delta’s ability to circumvent the vaccine, an erosion of the protection offered over time, or a combination of the two factors.
Israel, which has vaccinated its population almost exclusively with the Pfizer vaccine, is currently administering third doses to adults over the age of 60 in hopes of increasing protection. According to a high-level expert on Tuesday, the effort could pay off.
The Mayo Clinic study found that in several states, people inoculated with Pfizer were twice as likely to experience a breakthrough infection despite being vaccinated, compared to Moderna.
An Israeli woman receives a third Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the central city of Ramat Hasharon on July 30, 2021 (AP Photo / Sebastian Scheiner)
“In Florida, which is currently experiencing its strongest outbreak of COVID-19 to date, the risk of infection in July after a full vaccination with mRNA-1273 (the Moderna shot) was about 60% lower than after a full vaccination with BNT162b2 (Pfizer), ”the researchers said.
Yet both vaccines seemed to remain very effective (over 90%) in preventing serious illness.
The researchers concluded that “our observational study highlights that although the two COVID-19 mRNA vaccines offer strong protection against serious infections and disease, further evaluation of the mechanisms underlying the differences in efficacy, such as that the dosage regimens and composition of the vaccine is justified ”.
Israel has mainly relied on Pfizer’s vaccine to vaccinate its population, but has also purchased millions of doses of Moderna’s version.
Both companies are currently developing boosters that will target new variants such as Delta, but it will take several more months to hit the market.
The COVID-19 vaccine is Moderna’s only commercially approved product. It is also developing several vaccines that aim to protect against influenza, Zika and HIV among other viruses. These are all in the early stages of clinical testing, according to its website.
The company, which was formed to commercialize mRNA vaccine technology, said it had nearly doubled in size over the past year, from 930 employees to around 1,800. It said a figure of total business of $ 4.35 billion, thanks to the vaccine and some subsidies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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