Covid -19: Moderna vaccine guarantees protection longer than Pfizer/BioNTech – CDC study

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A new study published Friday, 17, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the latest to suggest that Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine confers greater long-term protection against hospitalization than Pfizer’s.

Over the entire period, between March 11 and August 15, 2021 – the period leading up to and including the peak of the delta variant – Moderna’s vaccine was 93% effective against hospitalization, Pfizer’s was 88%, and J&J’s was 68%.

CDC researchers analyzed nearly 3,689 adults who were hospitalized with severe covid-19 between March 11 and August 15, 2021.

Overall, 12.9% of them were fully vaccinated with Moderna’s doses, 20.0% with Pfizer/BioNTech, and 3.1% with Johnson & Johnson.

The loss of effectiveness against hospitalization for Pfizer was especially pronounced: it dropped from 91% between 14 and 120 days after vaccination to 77% more than 120 days after vaccination. On the other hand, Moderna dropped from 93% to 92% when comparing the same two periods.

The study also included a separate analysis of the vaccines’ levels of different types of antibodies collected from 100 volunteers.

Moderna’s vaccine produced higher antibodies levels than Pfizer’s and J&J’s for an essential part of the coronavirus “spike” protein, which is used to invade cells.

Research suggesting the superiority of Moderna’s vaccine over Pfizer’s is growing, including an earlier CDC study published last week. The reasons are not entirely determined but may be related to the higher dose levels: 100 micrograms versus 30. They may also be related to the interval between doses, as Pfizer’s injections are given three weeks apart in the United States, while Moderna’s are four weeks apart.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is holding a meeting of leading independent experts on Friday to discuss a possible third dose of Pfizer for the general population and not just for immunosuppressed people.