Moderna Releases New Clinical Data on COVID-19 Vaccine

Moderna released an analysis surrounding several studies on their COVID-19 vaccine on Sept. 15, 2021. In it, the company shared data surrounding the efficacy of the vaccine amidst the Delta variant surge, the risk of breakthrough infections, and the need for booster shots.

According to Moderna, a prospective cohort study of 352,878 recipients found that there was a vaccine effectiveness of 87% against COVID-19 diagnosis and 96% against COVID-19 hospitalization. The study was conducted during the emergence of the Delta variant, which was identified in 47% of cases in fully vaccinated individuals.

Moderna also did an analysis of data provided by CDC on breakthrough infections among individuals who received the vaccine. They found that their COVID-19 vaccine provided 92% efficacy against COVID-19 urgent care or emergency visit at a median of 96 days post-vaccination, and 95% efficacy against hospitalization at a median of 106 days after hospitalization.

In the Coronavirus Efficacy and Safety Study (COVE) study, an analysis comparing individuals vaccinated between July and October of 2020 and December 2020 and March of 2021, 88 breakthrough cases of COVID-19 occurred in the more recently vaccinated group (49.0 cases per 1000 people) compared to 162 cases in the group vaccinated last year (77.1 cases per 1000 people). Moderna believes that the impact of waning immunity provides evidence of the potential benefit of a booster dose of mRNA-1273.

“It is promising to see clinical and real-world evidence adding to the growing body of data on the effectiveness of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine,” said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, in a company press release. “The increased risk of breakthrough infections in COVE study participants who were vaccinated last year compared to more recently illustrates the impact of waning immunity and supports the need for a booster to maintain high levels of protection. We hope these findings are helpful as health authorities and regulators continue to assess strategies for ending this pandemic.”

Source: Moderna