Good news for those over the age of 55. Moderna's coronavirus vaccine candidate showed a strong immune response in older adults in a recent clinical trial.
Two months after receiving the vaccine, 20 study participants had higher antibody levels than people recovering from COVID-19. Previous early trials of the would-be vaccine showed equally promising results for a younger population.
According to Politico, Moderna presented their research findings to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a meeting Wednesday. Experts say it is important to ensure a vaccine works for both young adults and seniors because the immune system's ability to fight infections declines with age.
"We believe we picked the absolutely right dose" for both younger and older adults, said Moderna's chief medical officer, Tal Saks, according to Politico. The results mirror the findings of Phase I trials conducted by Moderna that were published in July in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The vaccine is the first developed by a U.S. company to publish clinical trial results. Moderna said Monday it plans to provide 80 million doses of the experimental vaccine to the European Union after reaching an agreement with the European Commission on Monday, according to The Boston Globe.