Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Appears Safe, Shows Signs of Working in Older Adults -- Study

An early safety study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate in older adults indicated that it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies at levels similar to those seen in younger adults, with side effects roughly equal to high-dose flu shots, reports Reuters . The findings offer reassurance because immunity tends to deteriorate with age. The study was an extension of Moderna's Phase I safety trial, first performed in subjects aged 18 to 55, which tested two doses of Moderna's vaccine — 25 micrograms and 100 micrograms — in 40 adults aged 56 to 70 and 71 and older. Generally, in older adults who received two injections of the 100 microgram dose 28 days apart, the vaccine triggered immune responses roughly in line with those observed in younger adults. The higher dose is being tested in a large Phase III trial before seeking emergency authorization or approval. Side effects — including headache, fatigue, body aches, chills, and injection site pain — were categorized as mainly mild to moderate, although severe reactions were seen inn at least two cases. One subject developed a grade three fever after receiving the lower vaccine dose, while another developed fatigue of such severity that it temporarily prevented daily activities.