Moderna Covid-19 vaccine produces more antibodies than Pfizer shot: Study

The findings of the study were published in a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association on August 30.

Two doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine produced more antibodies than those fully vaccinated with the vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech, a study comparing the immune response of the two vaccines showed. The vaccines by both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna use the mRNA technology and are currently being widely used in inoculations by several countries.

The study also show that previously infected participants had higher counts of antibodies than those who were not infected. (Reuters | Representational image)

Almost 1,650 healthcare workers from a hospital in Belgium, including men, women, those previously infected with Covid-19 and those uninfected, across age groups, were involved in the study. As many as 688 people received the Moderna vaccine and 959 people were immunised with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The findings of the study were published in a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association on August 30. The study showed that among people previously uninfected, those who were inoculated with the Moderna vaccine had an antibody response of 2,881 units/ml while those administered with the Pfizer vaccine had 1,108 units/ml. Similarly, among those previously infected too, those with the Moderna vaccine showed higher antibody presence than those who received the Pfizer vaccine.

The study also show that previously infected participants had higher counts of antibodies than those who were not infected, after receiving both doses of the vaccine. Both the vaccines have demonstrated an efficacy rate of more than 90% in preventing Covid-19 illness.

Earlier on August 27, another separate study by the Northwestern University in the US showed that the antibody response in adults with prior history of Covid-19 infection reduced by 20%, two months after receiving the second Moderna or Pfizer vaccine dose. The university said in a press statement that the study “underscores the importance of receiving a second dose of vaccine, not only because it is commonly known that immunity from vaccines wanes over time, but also because of the risk posed by emerging variants, including the highly contagious delta variant.” The study said that prior exposure to Covid-19 does not guarantee a higher level of antibodies or a robust antibody response to the first dose of the vaccine.