Moderna says Vaccine 93% effective after 6 months

Moderna says its vaccine continues to be 93% effective six months after the second dose. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company made the announcement during a Thursday earnings call.

“We are pleased that our COVID-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy of 93% through six months but recognize that the Delta variant is a significant new threat, so we must remain vigilant,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna, in a statement.

The company did say it believed a booster shot will be necessary before winter, but public health officials are not recommending boosters for the time being.

The World Health Organization has called on wealthy countries not to administer boosters to make sure first doses are available in poorer countries.

Moderna earned $2.78 billion in the second quarter compared to a $117,000 loss last year. Its vaccine is the company’s only commercially approved product and has been approved for emergency use in over 50 countries.

Pfizer, which makes a vaccine with its German partner BioNTech, announced recently that its vaccine was effective months after the second dose. It also said the vaccine was responsible for nearly half of the company’s revenue.