Moderna vaccine '93 per cent effective' up to six months after second dose

The pharmaceutical giant's latest data is in line with initial findings from original clinical trials

The Moderna vaccine was approved for emergency use in the UAE in June and has been authorised in more than 50 countries. Getty Images

Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine is 93 per cent effective against the virus for four to six months after the second dose is administered, the pharmaceutical company has said.

The latest data is in line with the 94 per cent efficacy first recorded in clinical trials.

The shot was approved for emergency use by the UAE in June.

Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, said Moderna submitted documents that complied with the country's procedures and regulations.

This enabled local health authorities to import the vaccine.

The data compares favourably with results reported by Pfizer-BioNTech last week, in which they suggested their vaccine's efficacy dropped by about 6 per cent every two months to roughly 84 per cent six months after the second dose.

"We are very pleased that our Covid-19 vaccine efficacy is stable at 93% from four to six months," Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said.

"This strong duration will benefit the hundreds of millions of people who have been dosed to date with Moderna vaccines."

Moderna's vaccine was authorised for emergency use in adults in the United States in December and has since been cleared for emergency or conditional use in adults in more than 50 countries, including the UAE.

The company started the process of filing for full approval with the US Food and Drug Administration in June and expects to finish its submission in August.

Approval for the use of the jab in the Emirates followed a deal between Moderna and a UAE-based distributor, Magenta Investments.

It was the fifth coronavirus vaccine to be introduced in the UAE after the green light given to Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca, Sputnik V and the Chinese-made Sinopharm.

Sinopharm and Pfizer are the most widely used doses in the country.

Moderna’s vaccine, similar to the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, uses mRNA technology and contains genetic instructions for the cells to make the coronavirus’ spike protein.

UAE's Covid-19 vaccination drive:

People wait to get vaccinated at Barsha Hall in Barsha, a suburb of Dubai.

Irum Fatima Tapal gets vaccinated against Covid-19 at Barsha Hall in Dubai

Lateef Painat receives the Pfizer BioNTech shot

It was a busy first week at Barsha Hall, where 4,000 people can be vaccinated in a day

Barsha Hall has 20 check-in counters, 50 vaccination booths and five observation rooms

About 80 healthcare staff work at the site

Lateef Painat, a Dubai resident, gets ready to be vaccinated at the newly opened Barsha Hall