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4 charts show why Moderna vaccine recipients may not need boosters as much people who got Pfizer's vaccine

Hilary BrueckSep 27, 2021, 23:01 IST

Vials of the Pfizer (left) and Moderna (right) COVID-19 vaccines.Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images

Millions of adults across the US are now eligible for booster shots of Pfizer's vaccine.
Federal authorities are still waiting for more data on Moderna and Johnson & Johnson before recommending a boost to those vaccines.

4 new charts suggest it's possible that the protection Moderna's vaccine offers may be longer-lasting than both Pfizer and J&J.

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The US is now offering booster doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to tens of millions of people who've been fully vaccinated with Pfizer's shots for at least six months.

Booster shots began to be administered at the VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois on September 24, 2021. Scott Olson/Getty Images

The US is now offering booster doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to tens of millions of people who've been fully vaccinated with Pfizer's shots for at least six months.

But there's not yet any federal guidance about whether, or when, people who've gotten Moderna or Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccines might need a boost.

Booster shots are being offered to some adults in the US who got Pfizer's vaccine, called Comirnaty. Jens Schlueter/Getty Images

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The protection Moderna's vaccine offers against hospitalization seems to last longer than other brands.

CDC ACIP meeting, September 22-23, 2021.

One reason why Moderna may be holding up better in long-term protection is because the vaccine dosage is higher.

CDC ACIP meeting, September 22-23, 2021.

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Another possibility is that the four week interval between doses of Moderna is better than the three week waiting time between shots one and two of Pfizer.

CDC ACIP meeting, September 22-23, 2021.

Since the Delta variant took over in the US, both Moderna and Pfizer recipients are getting sick more often. But Moderna's vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization, for people over age 30, is looking slightly stronger - for now.

CDC ACIP meeting, September 22-23, 2021.

Since the Delta variant took over in the US, both Moderna and Pfizer recipients are getting sick more often. But Moderna's vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization, for people over age 30, is looking slightly stronger - for now.

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Whichever way you slice the data, all the vaccines are still pretty stellar at their primary job - keeping people alive and out of the hospital. Still, older adults remain more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes, even when they're vaccinated.

CDC ACIP meeting, September 22-23, 2021.

Whichever way you slice the data, all the vaccines are still pretty stellar at their primary job - keeping people alive and out of the hospital. Still, older adults remain more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes, even when they're vaccinated.

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