With Pfizer and Moderna being the most common vaccines in Singapore, many have their own opinions about the efficacy of each vaccine type.
But Moderna has come forward to clear the air through a press release on Thursday (5 Aug).
In it, they stated that their vaccine’s efficacy only drops from 94% to 93% up to 6 months after the second dose, making it more durable than Pfizer’s.
In a recent press release, Moderna noted that their Covid-19 shot would be 93% effective 4 to 6 months after the second jab.
Following that, the vaccine’s efficacy will only drop by 1% from the existing 94%. The update comes after their final analysis of Phase 3 COVE study data.
While the shot would be 93% effective, Moderna’s CEO Stéphane Bancel still acknowledges that it is crucial to remain vigilant as the Delta variant is a “significant new threat.”
In comparison, though Pfizer boasts a 96.2% efficacy between 1 week and 2 months after the second dose, studies showed the percentage declining by an average of 6% every 2 months.
This means that after 2 months, the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine would only be at 84%.
Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla commented last Wednesday (28 Jul) on CNBC’s “The Exchange” about the vaccine’s efficacy, saying that it was “approximately 84%” after 4-6 months.
Bourla also mentioned that a 3rd booster shot will “take up the immune response to levels that will be enough to protect against the Delta variant.”
Pfizer will be submitting their data about the benefit of having a booster shot to US regulators by mid-August.
Moderna is currently testing 3 different booster candidates’ induced robust antibody responses against important variants of concern.
These include the Gamma (P.1), Beta (B.1.351), and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants.
How much protection the vaccine can provide over time, against newer variants is thus still under review.
As Moderna’s studies on its Covid-19 vaccine are still ongoing, we can only wait and see for further developments.
For those who had doubts about the Moderna vaccine, perhaps this could change your mind.
At the end of the day, however, whichever vaccine type you take doesn’t matter, as long as you get yourself protected against the virus.
Since access to vaccinations is much easier now, don’t hesitate to make your appointments or even walk in soon.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Eric Garcetti on Flickr.
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