Moderna Says Their COVID-19 Vaccine is 94.5% Effective

Moderna announced today (November 16) that the vaccine they developed is 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19 according to their trial data.

Per a variety of outlets including Fox News, Reuters and BBC News, Moderna's two-dose vaccine was tested on 30,000 people in the United States during their trials. The two vaccine doses were given four weeks apart, with half of the participants receiving a placebo.

BBC News details, "The analysis was based on the first 95 to develop Covid-19 symptoms. Only five of the Covid cases were in people given the vaccine, 90 were in those given the [placebo] treatment...The data also shows there were 11 cases of severe Covid in the trial, but none happened in people who were immunized."

Moderna's trial data news comes a week after Pfizer announced their two-dose COVID-19 vaccine was 90% effective in preventing contracting the potentially deadly virus.

The New York Times reports, "10 other companies are also conducting big Phase 3 trials in a global race to produce a vaccine... More than 50 other candidates are in earlier stages of testing."

The New York Times also notes, "Pfizer and Moderna each announced the findings in news releases, not in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and the companies have not yet disclosed the detailed data that would allow outside experts to evaluate their claims. Therefore, the results cannot be considered conclusive. The studies are continuing, and the figures on effectiveness may change."

Both Pfizer and Moderna said they would be able to have millions of doses ready by the end of this year. In total, Pfizer said it would have 20 million two-dose vaccines ready, while Moderna said they would have 10 million.