Moderna Inc announced on Thursday that its vaccine against COVID-19 is about 93% effective six months after the second dose, with almost no change from the 94% efficacy reported in its initial clinical trial.
According to Reuters, this result is better than the data from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE last week, which reported that the effectiveness of their vaccine was weaker by 6% every two months, falling by nearly 84% six months after the second dose.
"Our vaccine for COVID-19 "It shows a 93% effectiveness for six months, but we recognize that the Delta mutation is a significant threat and we must remain vigilant," said Stefana Bancell, CEO of Moderna.
However, a boost dose will be needed before winter, as antibody levels may drop, the company said.
The new comment comes at a time when public health officials around the world are discussing whether additional doses are safe, effective and necessary even as they try to deal with the fast-paced Delta coronavirus mutation.
Pfizer, meanwhile, is seeking licensing for its third installment later this month, and some countries, such as Israel, have begun or are planning to start offering these installments to older or vulnerable citizens.
Moderna said its studies of three different candidate booster doses involved inducing strong antibody responses against mutations, including the Gamma, Beta and Delta mutations.