11-16-2020, 10:33 AM
On the heels of Pfizer's vaccine announcement last week (developed jointly with BioNTeh), this week Moderna announced that the preliminary results for their vaccine show 94.5% efficacy, somewhat higher than Pfizer's 90%. However, both are fairly small sample sizes, each with fewer than 100 infections, so the difference may well be within the margin of error.
The positive, though, is the consistency of the results from two independent tests for two different vaccines. This is significant because both are mRNA vaccines, made with synthetic messenger RNA (which directs the body's protein production) so they really should have fairly consistent efficacy. The biggest practical difference between the two is the storage requirement: Pfizer's vaccine must be stored at -70C or colder, whereas Moderna's can handle six months at the more common -20C temperature, and one week in a refrigerator.
We will need more than one company, so the two should complement each other. But, realistically, both of these, as well as any of the other candidates, are not going to be available for mass vaccinations until 4-6 months from now, so we need to manage the current situation until then.
The positive, though, is the consistency of the results from two independent tests for two different vaccines. This is significant because both are mRNA vaccines, made with synthetic messenger RNA (which directs the body's protein production) so they really should have fairly consistent efficacy. The biggest practical difference between the two is the storage requirement: Pfizer's vaccine must be stored at -70C or colder, whereas Moderna's can handle six months at the more common -20C temperature, and one week in a refrigerator.
We will need more than one company, so the two should complement each other. But, realistically, both of these, as well as any of the other candidates, are not going to be available for mass vaccinations until 4-6 months from now, so we need to manage the current situation until then.