Is There a “Best” mRNA Vaccine?

Both of the mRNA vaccines available in the US are highly effective against severe COVID-19, but recent studies suggest that Moderna’s elicits a stronger immune response and might be better at preventing breakthrough infections.   As with the articles on this website we will make it short sweet with no added filler.

Research published in recent weeks, however, suggests the Moderna vaccine’s advantage in terms of long-term protection. In multiple independent studies, significantly lower antibody levels and more vaccine breakthrough infections have been detected in the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccinated population. These could be explained by a myriad of slight differences between the vaccines themselves: their distinct dosages, the intervals between the two doses, or the composition of the lipid nanoparticles used in each one.

Studies have also observed significantly higher a167 adults affiliated with the University of Virginia—similarly found that differences in antibody production were most pronounced in older people, with Moderna eliciting a significantly higher immune response, especially in people over the age of 50.   Antibody levels were found following Moderna vaccination, compared to Pfizer/BioNTech, in individuals with higher risk of severe COVID-19.

Here is the table summing up the results:

Estimated vaccine effectiveness in a CDC study of nearly 33,000 medical encounters between June and August 2021
Moderna Pfizer/BioNTech
Preventing hospitalization
95 %
80 %
Preventing ER/urgent care
92 %
77 %
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 70:1291–1293, 2021

Keywords: #antibodies. #breakthrough infection, #coronavirus, #COVID-19, #immunology, #infectious disease, #microbiology, #Moderna, #mRNA vaccine, #news feature, #Pfizer, #SARS-CoV-2, #vaccine design, #vaccines

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