mRNA-1273 vaccine also tied to greater protection against COVID-19 in older adults<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b><\/p>\n
FRIDAY, Aug. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine against COVID-19 is associated with a slightly lower risk for several adverse events in older adults compared with BNT162b2 (Pfizer), according to a study published online Aug. 2 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Daniel A. Harris, Ph.D., from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues examined safety differences between mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 by frailty level. Twelve adverse events were included, such as pulmonary embolism, thrombocytopenia purpura, myocarditis, and others. The retrospective analysis included 6.4 million U.S. adults (66 years and older) receiving dose 1 of the mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 vaccine Dec. 11, 2020, to July 11, 2021.<\/p>\n The researchers found that the risk for 12 adverse outcomes was low in both vaccine groups. Risk was lower with the mRNA-1273 vaccine for pulmonary embolism (risk ratio [RR], 0.96; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.93 to 1.00; risk difference, 9 events per 100,000 persons), with a similar trend seen for other adverse events in subgroup analyses (e.g., 11.0 percent lower risk for thrombocytopenia purpura among nonfrail individuals). There was also a lower risk for being diagnosed with COVID-19 following the mRNA-1273 vaccine (RR, 0.86; 95 percent CI, 0.83 to 0.87), although this benefit was attenuated by frailty level (frail: RR, 0.94; 95 percent CI, 0.89 to 0.99).<\/p>\n “In this cohort study of older U.S. adults, the mRNA-1273 vaccine was associated with a slightly lower risk of several adverse events compared with BNT162b2, possibly due to greater protection against COVID-19,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Moderna and Pfizer.<\/p>\n