Moderna Says COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Signs of Working in Older Adults

Moderna on Wednesday claimed its experimental coronavirus vaccine induced immune responses in people 56 years and older that were comparable to those seen in younger adults in a small study, reports the Wall Street Journal . In the Phase 1 study, volunteers received two doses four weeks apart. Approximately four weeks after the second shot, 20 subjects 56 years and older developed neutralizing antibodies in ranges overlapping with those between those 18 to 55. Those subjects received the dose level of the vaccine that has been advanced to a late-stage, Phase 3 study. The median antibody levels in all age groups were higher than those in the blood of people who had recovered from COVID-19. Emory University Professor Walter A. Orenstein said these findings show promise, but it is too soon to conclude that this will actually protect against the virus. Moderna will hold a large trial in which researchers will track whether the rate of symptomatic COVID-19 is lower among vaccinated people than in unvaccinated subjects.