⁍ The study offers a more complete picture of the vaccine’s safety in older adults.
⁍ The findings are reassuring because immunity tends to weaken with age.
⁍ Moderna is already testing the higher dose in a large Phase III trial.
– An experimental vaccine shown to be safe for older adults appears to work just as well as a high-dose flu shot, according to a new study. Researchers tested two doses of the vaccine—25 micrograms and 100 micrograms—on 40 adults aged 56 to 70 and 71, Reuters reports. They found that older adults who received two doses had similar immune responses as younger adults, though there were at least two cases of severe reactions, including a 10-degree fever and fatigue so severe it prevented daily activities. “This is similar to what a lot of older adults are going to experience with the high-dose vaccine,” says a researcher. “They might feel off or have a fever.” Moderna Inc’s vaccine is in the early stages of a large clinical trial.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-moderna/moderna-covid-19-vaccine-appears-safe-shows-signs-of-working-in-older-adults-study-idUSL1N2GQ0ZY