Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Moderna Vaccine Gives 90% Protection Against Covid For 6 Months
CNBC: Covid Vaccine: Moderna Says Its Shot Is 90% Effective 6 Months After Second Dose
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective at protecting against Covid and more than 95% effective against severe disease up to six months after the second dose, the company said Tuesday, citing updated data from its phase three clinical trial. The update brings Moderna a step closer to filing its request for full U.S. approval for its vaccine. Full approval requires a more rigorous review process to show the shot is safe and effective for its intended use. Once it gets full approval, Moderna can begin marketing the shots directly to consumers and selling them to individuals and private companies in the U.S. (Lovelace Jr., 4/13)
Bloomberg: Moderna Says Covid Shot Remains 90% Effective After Six Months
Moderna Inc.’s coronavirus vaccine remained more than 90% effective after six months, according to a new analysis of data from the company’s final-stage trial. Beginning two weeks after the second dose, the shot was more than 90% effective overall, and more than 95% effective at preventing severe cases, according to a statement. The company didn’t release further details and said the follow-up results were preliminary as the study is continuing. (Langreth, 4/13)
Axios: Moderna Says Its COVID-19 Vaccine Has Not Led To Blood Clots Following J&J Reports
Moderna released a statement Tuesday reassuring people of the safety of its coronavirus vaccine hours after the FDA recommended pausing the administration Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines due to reported cases of "extremely rare" blood clots. After over 64.5 million doses administered globally, a comprehensive assessment using data through March 22 "does not suggest an association with" blood clots in the brain or veins, Moderna said. (Chen, 4/13)
Axios: Pfizer Says It Can Deliver 10% More Vaccine Doses To U.S. By End Of May
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Tuesday announced the company has ramped up production of its coronavirus vaccine and can deliver 10% more doses to the U.S. by the end of May than it previously agreed to produce. Bourla added that the company can deliver the full 300 million doses two weeks earlier than expected. (Gonzalez, 4/13)
The Hill: Pfizer Pushes To Speed Up Its Vaccine Delivery After J&J Pause
Pfizer's CEO said Tuesday that the company has ramped up its vaccine production to deliver doses more quickly following a pause in distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Albert Bourla, Pfizer's CEO, tweeted that the company could complete an order of 300 million COVID-19 vaccines two weeks early following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier Tuesday urging states to halt distribution of the J&J vaccine. Bourla wrote that his company is on pace to finish the order of 300 million doses it agreed to provide by the end of July two weeks early, adding it could provide 10 percent more than it originally agreed to by the end of May. (Bowden, 4/13)
