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Newly released research published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found which federally-authorized COVID vaccine is proving to be most effective over time.
The studies that have been published found that Moderna’s vaccine is more effective against the virus months after the vaccination series was completed.
According to the CDC, the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine against hospitalization fell from 91 percent to 77 percent after a four-month period following the second shot.
Moderna’s efficacy against severe illness in those involved in the latest studies ranged from 92 to 100 percent, while Pfizer lagged behind by 10 to 15 percent.
In comparison, the Moderna vaccine showed no decline over the same period, and the gap between the two shots is expected to widen as time moves on and healthcare professionals begin administering COVID-19 booster shots.
“Our baseline assumption is that the mRNA vaccines are functioning similarly, but then you start to see a separation,” Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at Emory University in Atlanta said in The New York Times. “It’s not a huge difference, but at least it’s consistent.”
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Researchers are cautioning that while there is a divide between the two vaccines, it remains minor and both remain effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalizations versus those who are unvaccinated.
“Yes, likely a real difference, probably reflecting what’s in the two vials,” John Moore, a virologist at Weill Cornell Medicine said “But truly, how much does this difference matter in the real world?”
“It’s not appropriate for people who took Pfizer to be freaking out that they got an inferior vaccine.”
Dr. Jeffrey Wilson, who published a study in the JAMA Network Open earlier this month noted that “at the end of the day, I do think there are subtle but real differences between Moderna and Pfizer.
“In high-risk populations, it might be relevant. It’d be good if people took a close look.”
“Pfizer is a big hammer,” Wilson added, but “Moderna is a sledgehammer.”
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