The Moderna coronavirus vaccine in cooperation with the National Institutes of Health has been trialed in the elderly. Results indicate that the vaccine elicited an immune response in the particular age group.
"The immune response to many other vaccines has been shown to decrease with increasing age. Thus, the testing of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates in older populations is of paramount importance, since these persons account for the majority of serious COVID-19 cases and associated deaths," according to the NIH-led researchers published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" on Tuesday, reported CNN.
According to the research study, results from an early safety study of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine candidate in older adults exhibited that it produced antibodies at identical levels as that in younger adults. Older adults are a group more susceptible to severe complications from COVID-19. The side effects are roughly on the level of high-dose flu shots.
Similar Amounts of Antibodies in Older and Younger Adults
Moderna’s shot is named mRNA-1273 and produced similar amounts of antibodies in participants aged 71 and older as younger subjects from 18 to 55 years old.
Moderna researchers based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, were relieved by the findings due to the fact that immunity generally diminishes with age. This is why older COVID-19 patients are more susceptible to serious complications.
President Donald Trump in the previous evening made his stance on the presidential debate floor touting insiders who stated that a COVID-19 vaccine will come sooner than indicated by experts.
Moderna is one of the biggest players in the coronavirus vaccine development game as of now and their report indicated that their vaccine could produce antibodies in older adults, reported Market Realist.
Second Interim Analysis
Moderna published the second interim analysis of Phase I trial of its vaccine candidate in the "The New England Journal of Medicine." This particular data evaluated two age cohorts, one from 56 to 70 years and the other one 71 years old and older.
The study was in addition to Moderna's Phase I safety trial, first initiated in people aged 18-55. Two doses of Moderna's vaccine were tested -- 25 micrograms and 100 micrograms -- in the 40 adult participants.
Phase 2 Testing
From phase 2 testing, a strong antibody response was triggered in older adults, and only triggered serious side effects in one participant.
All of the participant patients in the study created neutralizing antibodies to COVID-19. These are the types of immune cells surmised to be the most competent in stopping the coronavirus from infecting our cells.
Phase 3 Trial
Moderna is already testing the Phase III trial larger dose. This is the last stage prior to seeking emergency permission or approval. Side effects that involved headache, body aches, fatigue, injection site pain, and chills were deemed mostly mild to moderate.
According to Dr. Amesh Adalja who is associated with the trial, it is important to understand how well the vaccine works in the elderly age group at the highest risk for severe COVID-19 infections, reported Permia care.
The early phase 1 study is seemingly promising but it is not conclusive until phase 3 data is available, he added regarding the Moderna coronavirus vaccine.
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