Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Makes Better Immune Response, Study Says

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that Moderna's vaccine is slightly more effective than Pfizer's or Johnson & Johnson's vaccines.

The research is titled "Comparative Effectiveness of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19 Hospitalizations Among Adults Without Immunocompromising Conditions."

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Gives Better Protection vs. Coronavirus

The CDC researchers looked at thousands of US people admitted to hospitals from March to August. USA Today (via Yahoo! News), citing the study, said Moderna's vaccination is 93 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations, compared to 88 percent for Pfizer's and 71 percent for Johnson & Johnson's.

Pfizer's vaccine was 91 percent effective against hospitalizations after 120 days upon getting the second dose. Still, it dropped to 77 percent after that. In contrast, Moderna's effectiveness dropped just one point after 120 days, from 93 percent to 92 percent (the CDC didn't break down Johnson & Johnson's effectiveness over time due to insufficient data).

Immunocompromised individuals, minors, and those who were only partially vaccinated against COVID-19 were excluded from the research.

The CDC stated that data on vaccination efficacy changes could affect individual choices and policy recommendations about vaccine boosters. But that all three vaccines still give significant protection.

Forbes said Moderna's vaccine might better protect against illnesses that need hospitalization. Data collected across nine states between June and August showed that Moderna was 92 percent effective in preventing trips to emergency rooms and urgent care facilities. It outperformed Pfizer (77 percent) and Johnson & Johnson (65 percent).

(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 23: Dave Lacknauth, Pharm. D., Director of Pharmacy Services, Broward Health Medical Center, shows off a bottle of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a press conference on December 23, 2020, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

ALSO READ: Japan Suspends Over 1.6 Million Moderna Vaccines Due to Particulate Matter Contamination

These data were according to "Interim Estimates of COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Against COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department or Urgent Care Clinic Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant Predominance."

How Effective Are the COVID-19 Vaccines vs. Delta Variant?

The study released on Friday did not examine whether the Delta variant has reduced the vaccinations' efficacy. However, prior research suggests they are still effective. But Forbes said that while the vaccinations' efficiency in preventing infections decreased when the Delta variant became prevalent, their effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death remained extraordinarily high.

NBC Chicago, citing researchers in Belgium, compared the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines by assessing the antibodies of 2,500 health care workers after two doses of both shots.

Researchers said the Moderna vaccination created more than twice as many antibodies as the Pfizer vaccine, although experts advise caution.

Dr. Allison Arwady, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, told NBC Chicago that antibody level is fascinating. But he clarified it doesn't always lead to a substantial change in the way the vaccine performs.

Another research to consider when comparing vaccinations is one published earlier this month by the Mayo Clinic. The clinic's study, "Comparison of Two Highly-Effective mRNA Vaccines for COVID-19 During Periods of Alpha and Delta Variant Prevalence," is still being reviewed.

According to the findings, the chance of developing a breakthrough COVID-19 infection with the delta variant after receiving the Moderna vaccination is likely to be substantially lower than the risk for individuals who got the Pfizer vaccine.

RELATED ARTICLE: FDA Says COVID-19 Vaccine Now Only Limited For Older Groups, People At High Risk  

Check out more news and information on COVID-19 in Science Times.