Moderna Reports 94.5% Efficacy for Its Coronavirus Vaccine
Moderna announces that its experimental coronavirus vaccine demonstrates a 94.5% effectiveness rate in preventing COVID-19. The results closely follow similar positive data released by Pfizer last week.
Moderna releases interim results showing its coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective at preventing COVID-19. The data comes from an ongoing late-stage clinical trial involving 30,000 participants in the United States. Out of 95 total infections observed in the trial, only 11 occur in the group that receives the actual vaccine, while the remaining 84 cases happen in the placebo group.
The vaccine also shows promising results in preventing severe illness, as none of the 11 infected participants in the vaccinated group develop severe COVID-19 symptoms. Moderna's chief medical officer describes the moment the team learned of the high efficacy rate as incredibly emotional. These findings closely mirror the 95% effectiveness rate recently reported by Pfizer and BioNTech for their competing vaccine.
Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna's candidate does not require ultra-cold storage temperatures, which simplifies distribution logistics significantly. Moderna plans to apply for emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks. The company anticipates having approximately 20 million doses ready to ship in the United States by the end of the year.