According to several studies, Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine has a higher effectiveness rate than Pfizer's.
These studies recognize the fact that the "effectiveness gap" could always change as more data are gathered, and made it clear that both vaccines remain effective in fighting the coronavirus.
But if ever the gap holds up, then the two vaccines must be treated differently, as they will have a significant effectiveness rate, and government policies will play a huge role in this situation.
The difference between the two vaccines' effectiveness was confirmed by several studies, but some medical experts have warned that the results of these studies might lead to unfair, and worse, flawed comparisons.
The studies were conducted by various groups, and have agreed on one conclusion: Moderna and Pfizer's vaccines have a high difference in long-term effectiveness rate.
"There has been sort of signals from enough separate sources that start to paint a picture that may reflect a real biological phenomenon 一 a real difference. I'm starting to believe that there's something underlying it," Natalie Dean, a Memery professor who specializes in vaccine study design, said.
In a study made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it has discovered that Moderna's vaccine isn't just slightly more effective but has significant effectiveness compared to Pfizer's and even J&J's vaccines. It can perform better in emergency departments, urgent encounters, and hospitalizations.
But even with the studies' newly-discovered significant difference, it must be remembered that Pfizer was the first vaccine to be authorized by the U.S. government. In fact, it was administered to COVID-19 patients several weeks before Moderna's vaccine rolled out.
According to Cornell virologist John Moore, since the Pfizer vaccine was the first one to be approved, this was the brand that the most ill people got at that time.
This can explain why Pfizer's effectiveness seems to be "significantly less" compared to Moderna's because Pfizer's vaccine was administered not only earlier but in more vulnerable populations.
Other experts also believe that this "huge gap" in effectiveness can be attributed to the fact that Moderna's vaccine has a much higher dosing compared to Pfizer's.
More experts are expected to lay down their evaluation regarding the effectiveness gap between the two vaccines in the coming days.
