Moderna Says Vaccine’s Protection Will Fade After Latest Study

By
Zhi Hao
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It appears that our worst fears have come true.

After weeks of deliberation over whether a vaccine booster shot would be necessary, evidence has emerged to support those in the pro-booster camp.

And to further enhance these claims? It’s an actual vaccine manufacturer that has submitted the evidence.

Moderna Says Vaccine’s Protection Will Fade After Latest Study

In a news release on 15 September 2021, Moderna revealed that the protection its vaccine grants seems to wane over time.

This certainly complicates things, considering how several recent studies have shown that a Moderna dose actually lasts longer than its Pfizer and BioNTech counterparts.

Moderna’s conclusion was derived from a recent study of its own, which pitted more than 14,000 volunteers who were vaccinated between July and October 2020 against 11,000 volunteers who received their doses between December 2020 and March 2021.

Of the two factions, 88 cases were found in the more recent demographic, while 162 were uncovered in the earlier demographic.

More severe cases were also found in the earlier demographic, though the difference is reportedly not that significant.

Nevertheless, this has led Moderna to speculate an additional 600,000 COVID-19 cases as immunity wanes.

He, however, did not mention how many of the cases would be severe, only mentioning that some of the cases will require hospitalisation.

Despite the findings, however, another separate study has determined Moderna’s effectiveness where the Delta variant is concerned.

Subsequent Action

This has also led to Moderna’s application for a booster shot, which was filed to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 1 September 2021.

With a third dose, the vaccine could potentially increase neutralising antibodies to an even higher level than the second dose.

“We believe this will reduce COVID-19 cases,” Moderna President Stephen Hoge said. “We also believe that the third dose of mRNA-1273 has a chance of significantly extending immunity throughout much of next year as we attempt to end the pandemic.”

Stark Contrast

The findings are certainly in stark contrast to previous ones.

Just recently, a reputable panel of scientists from around the world had stepped out with their own consensus:

Most people do not need a booster shot.

And the reason behind such a hypothesis?

The sheer effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

This has not aged well.

Indeed, the experts reasoned that instead of prioritising booster shots for the public, governments may do better with an increased focus on assisting the unvaccinated.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also concurred with the sentiment. Discouraging the broad use of boosters, WHO stated that it would make more public sense to immunise the unvaccinated instead.

Booster Shot Regime in S’pore Goes Smoothly

Meanwhile, Singapore planned, and plans, to implement booster shots anyway.

On 6 September 2021, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced that the government is studying the possibility of booster shots for young adults, as it would not only benefit them but help slow down transmission rates as well.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 vaccine booster programme for seniors has kickstarted here.

Around 140,000 seniors will be invited via SMS to undergo a booster dose.

As of yesterday (15 September 2021), 3,200 seniors have received their jabs.

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Zhi Hao
Email: [email protected]