The efficacy of the novel coronavirus vaccine made by Moderna Inc., which is expected to be used at large-scale vaccination sites operated by the Self-Defense Forces, has been found to be similar to that of Pfizer Inc.
The main ingredient of both vaccines is messenger RNA (mRNA). Each vaccine is administered twice in the upper arm, and the vaccine must be that of the same company both times. The interval between the two doses of the Moderna vaccine is four weeks, slightly longer than three weeks for the Pfizer one.
According to overseas clinical trials, the efficacy of two doses of the Moderna vaccine was 94%, meaning it reduced the number of patients who become ill by about that ratio. Even among people aged 65 and older, for whom acquiring immunity is considered more difficult, the efficacy was 86%.
These figures are almost the same as those for the Pfizer vaccine. Both companies claim their drugs are also effective against mutated coronaviruses such as the British variant.
Adverse reactions are also similar. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in April that arm pain after two doses of vaccine occurred in 66% of cases for Pfizer and 78% for Moderna. Acute and severe allergic symptoms are said to occur once in several hundred thousand cases for both vaccines.
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