Moderna vaccine is 94.5% effective based on early data results. The company will apply for approval to use the vaccine.
The results come following the announcement from Pfizer that its vaccine is more than 90% effective.
Both companies employed a highly innovative and experimental method of developing their vaccines.
According to Moderna, it is a "great day," they will seek approval to use the Covid-19 vaccine in the next few weeks. However, this is considered early data and still has key questions that need answers.
The trial, which proved that Moderna vaccine is 94.5% effective, registered 30,000 participants in the U.S. with half being given two doses of the vaccine, four weeks apart. The rest took dummy injections. The analysis was taken from the first 95 to manifest Covid-19 symptoms.
Only five of the coronavirus cases were in people given the vaccine while 90 were in those who received the dummy treatment. The company noted that the vaccine is protecting 94.5% of people.
Findings revealed that there were 11 cases of severe Covid-19 in the trial. However, none happened in people who were immunized.
"The overall effectiveness has been remarkable... it's a great day," Tal Zaks, the chief medical officer at Moderna, told BBC News.
Dr. Stephen Hoge, the company's president, shared that he "grinned ear to ear for a minute" when the results were released.
He told BBC News: "I don't think any of us really hoped that the vaccine would be 94% effective at preventing Covid-19 disease, that was really a stunning realization."
Approval for Moderna vaccine 94.5% effective
Moderna says it will seek approval from regulators in the U.S. in the coming weeks. It plans to distribute 20 million doses available in the country.
The company aims to produce one billion doses available for use worldwide next year and plans to apply for approval in other countries too.
The UK announced that it will take five million doses of the Moderna vaccine, enough to vaccinate 2.5 million people. It has already laid out plans that prioritize the oldest people for immunization.
Moderna says it will apply to regulators in the US in the coming weeks. It expects to have 20 million doses available in the country.
Pfizer's vaccine
Pfizer Covid vaccine found over 90% effective at seven days after the second dose, according to the company’s announcement.
According to Pfizer and BioNTech’s statement, their coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective in responding to Covid-19 among those without proof of prior infection. They consider the development as “a great day for science and humanity.”
“I think we can see light at the end of the tunnel,” Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla said during an interview on CNBC’s Meg Tirrell on “Squawk Box.” “I believe this is likely the most significant medical advance in the last 100 years, if you count the impact this will have in public health, global economy.”
The statement comes as drugmakers and research centers race to produce a safe and effective vaccine to control the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 1.2 million lives across the world.
Scientists look forward to a coronavirus vaccine that is at least 75% effective, while White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said one that is 50% or 60% effective is already acceptable.
