Moderna said new data from a late-stage clinical trial shows there’s proof of waning COVID-19 vaccine immunity, suggesting COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are needed to stop severe illness from COVID-19.
Does Moderna’s COVID vaccine stop severe COVID?
According to Moderna, data show that the people who were vaccinated between December 2020 and March 2021 had 36% fewer COVID-19 “breakthrough” cases compared to those who were vaccinated during the initial trial for the vaccine, which ran from July 2020 to October 2020.
- There were 88 breakthrough cases out of 14,746 fully vaccinated people in the recent trial.
- But there were 162 COVID-19 breakthrough cases among 11,431 people from the original trial participants.
Do you need a booster shot?
Stephen Hoge, president at Moderna, said this is a sign that boosters are needed.
- Per Reuters, Hoge said the first six months are great, but you can’t count on that being stable out to a year and beyond.”
Moderna’s new data comes as there’s an ongoing debate about the need for booster shots. The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that the COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. offer significant protection against severe disease and death by COVID-19, and there isn’t a need for additional doses, per The Wall Street Journal.
- “Overall, data indicate that currently U.S.-licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccines still afford protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death in the United States,” the FDA said, according to CNBC.
However, the Biden administration has been calling for the need for additional COVID-19 booster shots, especially for those with underlying medical conditions and who are immunocompromised.