Moderna’s vaccine maintains antibodies to Delta variant for up to six months

A recent research work published in the journal Science analyzed the durability of the antibodies induced by the mRNA-1273 vaccine from the Moderna laboratory against the SARS-CoV-2 variants, and concluded that the activity of the antibodies induced by the formulation against the variants of the virus persists six months after the second dose.

As announced by Moderna after the results of the study became known, various tests were used and It was shown that after two doses of the vaccine, binding and neutralizing antibodies were generated against the ancestral strain of the virus and against the variants of interest, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Iota.

“Cross-reactive neutralizing responses were rare after a single dose. At peak response to the second dose of vaccine, all individuals responded to all variants, the researchers concluded. Binding and functional antibodies to the variants persisted in most subjects, albeit at low levels, for six months after the primary series of mRNA-1273 vaccine.”.

And they spread: “High levels of binding antibodies that recognize all variants tested, including Beta and Delta, were maintained in all subjects during this period.”

And while they recognized that “Further studies will be needed to address the impact of new variants that will surely emerge in areas of intense viral infection,” they said, “the data are encouraging for the use of this vaccine against viral variation.”

Stéphane Bancel is the executive director of the American laboratory and said he was satisfied with these new data showing that people vaccinated with two doses of the Modern COVID-19 vaccine maintained the antibodies for six months, even against worrying variants.

“With our partners, we are committed to generating vaccine data and sharing it when it becomes available. These data confirm the long-term efficacy of 93% observed with the vaccine over six months. We hope that this data and the growing body of real-world evidence will help educate health regulators on how and when to give additional booster doses.”.

Researchers observed a downward trend in antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 variants in older people on day 209 (up to six months). However, the differences were small and there was an overlap between age groups. “It is important to note that many people in the older group retained the neutralizing activity against the variants six months after the second dose of the vaccine,” they said from Moderna.

Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Works Through messenger RNA technology, like that of Pfizer / BioNTech. Clinical trials in both cases have shown great efficacy, despite the fact that the platform is recent and has never been tested before. The pandemic has become an opportunity to test a new technology in development for 30 years. This is a very promising genetic technology for a long time, but which has so far encountered biological obstacles.

It’s called synthetic messenger RNA, an ingenious variation of the naturally occurring substance that directs the production of proteins in cells throughout the body. This component is manufactured in the laboratory.

Thanks to the vaccine, it is inserted into the body and takes control of this machinery to manufacture specific proteins or antigens of the coronavirus: its “spicules” or points, these very characteristic points which are on its surface and allow it to adhere to human cells. to penetrate them.

These proteins, harmless in themselves, will be released by our cells after receiving instructions for the vaccine, and the immune system in response will produce antibodies. These antibodies will remain on guard for a long time with the ability to recognize and neutralize the coronavirus in case it infects us.

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