Moderna Says Its COVID-19 Vaccine is 94.5% Effective

Moderna said its initial, third-beta data show its coronavirus vaccine is more than 94% effective in preventing Covid-19 – a result that CEO Stéphane Bancel has called it a “game-changer”. He added, “The thing that got me the most excited today was the severe disease.”

Moderna, which developed its vaccine in cooperation with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that 90 cases of Covid-19 were observed in the placebo group versus 5 cases in the group that received a two-dose vaccine. She added that this led to a vaccine effectiveness estimated at 94.5%.

 Moderna added that it expected the vaccine could be shipped and stored for up to six months at minus 20C, and then remain stable once thawed for 30 days if refrigerated at between 2C and 8C. In contrast, BioNTech-Pfizer have said their shot must be transported at minus 75C and can survive in a normal fridge for only five days, making it potentially more complicated to distribute.