Which vaccine is the best?
This question has been hotly debated since the first approvals.
Moderna probably has a much better long-term effect than Biontech.
Munich - Moderna beats Biontech: According to a US study, the vaccine from the pharmaceutical company Moderna protects better against serious corona diseases in the long term than the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer.
The vaccination protection from Biontech decreased significantly after four months, while it remained almost stable with Moderna.
That was the result of a study published on Friday by the United States health authority Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Coronavirus: Moderna vaccination protection remains almost constant - Biontech falls off
Between March and August, the CDC researchers examined 3,689 cases of hospital patients for the study.
During the study period, there was a massive increase in infections with the significantly more contagious Delta variant in the USA.
Of the patients with severe courses of Covid-19, 12.9 percent were vaccinated with Moderna.
20 percent had been vaccinated with Biontech.
Moderna did very well: For patients who were vaccinated with Moderna, it made little difference how long ago the vaccination was already: The vaccination protection was 93 percent in the first four months and 92 percent afterwards.
In the case of patients with Biontech vaccination, however, the vaccination protection fell sharply: from 91 percent in the first four months to 77 percent.
Which vaccination for the booster?
Study could point the way
Although both are based on the novel mRNA technologies, more and more studies indicate that Moderna has a better long-term protective effect than Biontech.
A connection between the higher dosage of the Moderna vaccine and the longer waiting time between the two doses is suspected.
The research will most likely become relevant when citizens have to decide to have a booster vaccination.
(cg with dpa)
An antibody test that proves a survived infection will in future be sufficient, together with a vaccination, to be considered protected. Health Minister Jens Spahn said.
