Coronavirus Watch: Moderna reports vaccine 93% effective after 6 months
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 93% effective through six months after full vaccination, the company said Thursday.
The vaccine maker also announced it has tested three potential booster shots which demonstrated "robust antibody responses to COVID-19 variants of concern."
"We are pleased that our COVID-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy," Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. "But recognize that the delta variant is a significant new threat so we must remain vigilant."
Meanwhile, Pfizer-BioNTech said last week its vaccine remains 84% effective six months after the second dose.
It's Thursday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news you need to know:
- The Marion School District in Arkansas is asking the state legislature to allow schools to mandate masks after more than 700 students and staff had to quarantine just two weeks after classes started.
- Nearly all foreign visitors will be required to be vaccinated before entering the U.S., according to a plan the Biden administration is working on, The Associated Press reported.
- Tokyo again broke its record for new cases Thursday, logging more than 5,000 new cases.
- As Florida reached a new peak hospitalizations this week, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he would “stand in the way” of any federal COVID-19 restrictions that he believed would hurt businesses or take away Floridians’ rights to choose.
Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 35.3 million COVID-19 cases and 615,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 200.6 million cases and more than 4.2 million deaths. About 58% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 50% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.
– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck