Study suggests Moderna vaccine offers more protection against Delta variant

• A new study suggests that Moderna’s vaccine may be more effective than Pfizer against the delta variant.
• Moderna’s vaccine efficacy reportedly fell from 86 percent in early 2021 to 76 percent in July, while Pfizer’s efficacy fell from 76 percent to 42 percent.
• The study is yet to be peer-reviewed, however.

All currently available COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. have been proven to effectively reduce one’s risk of infection, severe illness, and death. But according to a recent study that has yet to be peer-reviewed, Moderna’s mRNA vaccine may be more effective than Pfizer against the highly contagious delta variant.

The observational study, which was posted on Sunday, looked into more than 50,000 patients in the Mayo Clinic Health System. Researchers from data analytics company nference compared the effectiveness of both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines from January 2021 through July.

Both vaccines were found to be highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization. However, their efficacy started decreasing in July when the delta variant became the dominant strain of the virus in the U.S. 

Moderna’s vaccine efficacy were found to have decreased from 86 percent in early 2021 to 76 percent in July while Pfizer’s vaccine efficacy fell from 76 percent to 42 percent.

The study authors clarified that both vaccines are still strongly effective at preventing hospitalization due to COVID-19. However, Reuters reported that a Moderna booster shot may be needed for those who got any mRNA vaccine earlier this year. Pfizer has also suggested receiving a third dose within 6 to 12 months after full vaccination.

Moderna vaccine was also found to produce stronger immune responses in the elderly compared to Pfizer, according to a separate study on nursing home residents in Ontario. The study also hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet.

Still, other studies have found Pfizer’s vaccine to work well against delta. 

Last month, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Pfizer vaccine provided 88 percent protection against delta. The Public Health England reported similar results in May. 

Clinical trials have shown Pfizer’s vaccine to be 95 percent effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and Moderna’s to be 94 percent effective. 

Source: The Hill