Moderna coronavirus vaccine ‘95 per cent effective’

American company, Moderna, has shown its mRNA vaccine is nearly 95 per cent effective against COVID-19 and is immediately applying for its emergency use in the US.

The Moderna headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Picture: AFP

American company, Moderna, has shown its mRNA vaccine is nearly 95 per cent effective against COVID-19 and is immediately applying for its emergency use in the US.

The results are the best of three major vaccines released in the past few days, coming on top of the efficacy of 90 per cent of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, of which Australia has secured 10 million doses.

Australia has no deals in place for the Moderna vaccine, nor that of the Russian candidate Sputnik V, which was shown to have an efficacy of 92 per cent.

But the news that yet another vaccine has shown extraordinarily high efficacy is a big boost for global vaccines worldwide.

In the Moderna trial of 30,000 volunteers, 95 patients suffered confirmed COVID-19 infections: 90 of them had received the placebo and five had received the vaccine.

Moderna says it will have 20 million doses ready for use throughout the US by the end of the year and can make as much as 500m to 1bn doses for worldwide distribution in 2021.

Like other vaccines, the Moderna vaccine requires two doses given three weeks apart.

Moderna’s chief executive Stephane Bancel said the results were a pivotal moment.

“Since early January, we have chased this virus with the intent to protect as many people around the world as possible. All along, we have known that each day matters.

“This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent COVID-19 disease, including severe disease,” he said.

Chief medical officer at Moderna, Tal Zaks, told BBC News: “The overall effectiveness has been remarkable … it’s a great day,”

Crucially, Mr Zaks said the data showed the vaccine does not appear to lose its potency with older people.

Small numbers of people experienced small side-effects of the vaccine including fatigue, headache and pain.

Unlike the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, which requires deep freeze conditions and can survive in a fridge for five days, the Moderna vaccine can be stored at minus 20C for up to six months and in a fridge for up to a month.

RDNA vaccines uses incomplete parts of the genetic code of the virus, to encourage the body to mount an immune response.