How effective is the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19?

Both the Secretary of Health, Alejandro Gómez, and health specialists reaffirm that all available vaccines are safe and greatly reduce the possibility of getting worse and even dying from the virus. That is why Portal Bogotá consulted the experts to give clarity to the public about the efficacy of the Moderna vaccine.

It is important to clarify that all the vaccines available against COVID-19 in Bogotá: (Janssen, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Sinovac) have gone through phases and scientific studies that have demonstrated their effectiveness and safety.

The Moderna biological is produced by the American pharmaceutical company of the same name, using the method called messenger RNA, which is characterized by transporting the genetic instructions of the virus to the organism so that the cells produce the appropriate antigen or antibody and thus train the immune system to fight the virus.

Requires two doses of application, intramuscularly, with a time interval of 28 days between the first and second doses, and if necessary, according to the pharmacist's indication, the term of application of the second dose can be extended until for 42 days.

How effective is Moderna?

According to the World Health Organization, WHO, based on evidence from clinical trials, the Moderna vaccine has been shown to be approximately 94.1% effective in protecting against COVID-19, which is effective from 14 days after the application of the first dose. According to the studies collected to date, Moderna works against the variants of the virus and especially against the so-called: British B.1.1.7 and South African 501Y.V2 variant.

Since April 30, the WHO included Moderna in the list of vaccines for emergency use against COVID-19, which means that the biological went through strict quality, safety and efficacy evaluations, essential to supply it to the population through the COVAX Mechanism. Likewise, the European Medicines Agency, EMA, exhaustively evaluated the quality, safety and efficacy data of the Moderna vaccine and authorized its use throughout the European Union.

Does Moderna prevent infection and transmission?

The WHO ensures that both the Moderna vaccine and the others available against COVID-19 maintain immunity for several months, which are still under study for determine the exact duration.

Whether the Moderna vaccine prevents infection and protects other people from transmission is also being studied, which is why it is important to continue with biosecurity measures such as the use of face masks, physical distancing, and hand washing, even after to get vaccinated.

However, the clarity of various studies lies in the fact that with the application of this biologic, the possibility of developing serious illness, hospitalization, or death due to SARS-CoV-2, a virus that causes the disease COVID-19.

What are the side effects of the Moderna vaccine?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, people should be aware of the possible side effects that the application can generate of Moderna doses, which may appear one or two days after its application and are considered normal signs that the body is generating protection against the virus.

If the symptoms increase or do not disappear in subsequent days, the treating physician should be consulted:

Symptoms in the arm where the vaccine was injected: Pain, redness and swelling.

Symptoms in the rest of the body: Tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever, nausea.

For its part, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts, SAGE, of the WHO recommends keeping people who receive the Moderna vaccine dose under observation for 15 minutes, to check their reactions. In the case of those who experience a severe allergic reaction immediately after the first dose, they should not receive more doses of the biologic.

What is used to protect yourself from COVID-19

After the confirmation of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Bogotá, the Ministry of Health has intensified its campaigns to motivate citizens to receive their vaccine doses and thus avoid an increase in ICU cases during a possible fourth peak of the pandemic. In Bogotá, Moderna is applied, for the moment, to people over 25 years of age, both in the 👉 vaccination points set up by the District and in those of each EPS.

"The promise of vaccines is to prevent us from getting seriously ill, from entering an Intensive Care Unit, ICU, or from being at risk of dying from COVID-19. From an immunological point of view, it is important to know that everyone We can become infected whether or not we are vaccinated, only those of us who are infected while immunized will not get sick or develop a fatal outcome," explained Gabriela Delgado, a bacteriologist, PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a professional from the Ministry of Health.

The expert reiterated the importance of continuing with biosecurity measures, even after vaccinating, with the aim of containing and preventing new infections.