What does COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness mean?

CHANGE ALL OF THAT. >> WE ARE VERY EXCITED AND HOPEFUL. THAT’S THE POINT. THIS TELLS US ALL TO KEEP HOPE ALIVE. KIM: DR. FREEMAN HRABOWSKI REACTS TO THE NEWS RELEASED BY MODERNA TODAY, EARLY RESULTS SHOW ITS COVID-19 VACCINE IS 94.5% EFFECTIVE. ROBOWSKI, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF UMBC, AND HIS WIFE, WERE SOME OF THE FIRST TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE PHASE THREE VACCINE TRIAL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. >> WE WERE TIRED AND FELT A LITTLE -- I USE THE WORD LOOPY. IT WAS JUST A LITTLE IN A DAZE FOR A DAY OR SO. KIM: MODERNA REPORTS NO SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE SHOT. IT’S SIMILAR TO A VACCINE CANDIDATE BY PFIZER, WHO LAST WEEK REPORTED ITS VACCINE IS 90% EFFECTIVE. THEY BOTH REQUIRE TWO DOSES AND ARE MRNA VACCINES. >> THIS MRNA DOESN’T STAY IN THE BODY FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. IT ESSENTIALLY DEGRADES AFTER IT DOES ITS WORK TO PRIME THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. SO IT’S NOTHING THAT’S INTEGRATED INTO OUR GENETICS OR SOMETHING THAT WE’LL BE ABLE TO FIND LATER ON. KIM: ONE BIG DIFFERENCE, MODERNA ANNOUNCED STORAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE VACCINE AREN’T AS STRICT AS INITIALLY THOUGHT. IT DOES NOT NEED THE ULTRA COLD STORAGE THE PFIZER VACCINE REQUIRES. >> THE MODERNA VACCINE CAN BE KEPT IN REFRIGERATION FOR UP T 30 DAYS, AND IT CAN WITHSTAND ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR UP TO 12 HOURS, WHICH IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGING. KIM: THAT WILL MAKE DISTRIBUTION OF THE VACCINE MUCH EASIER, IF IT’S APPROVED. MODERNA IS HOPING TO APPLY TO THE FDA FOR EMERGENCY APPROVAL IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS. >> WE ALL NEED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. WE NEED TO REOPEN THE ECONOMY. WE NEED TO GET BACK TO GETTING TOGETHER WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO MEAN THE MOST TO US IN OUR LIVES, SO THIS IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGING NEWS. KIM: OTHER ENCOURAGING EARLY RESULTS, THOSE THAT CONTRACTED COVID-19 EVEN AFTER GETTING THE VACCINE HAD A MUCH MILDER CASE OF THE DISEA

What does COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness mean?It refers to the likelihood that a coronavirus shot will work in people.Two vaccine makers have said that preliminary results from their late-stage studies suggest their experimental vaccines are strongly protective. Moderna this week said its vaccine appears nearly 95% effective. This comes on the heels of Pfizer's announcement that its shot appeared similarly effective.Those numbers raised hopes around the world that vaccines could help put an end to the pandemic sometime next year if they continue to show that they prevent disease and are safe.Effectiveness numbers will change as the vaccine studies continue since the early calculations were based on fewer than 100 COVID-19 cases in each study. But early results provide strong signals that the vaccine could prevent a majority of disease when large groups of people are vaccinated.U.S. health officials said a coronavirus vaccine would need to be at least 50% effective before they would consider approving it for use. There was concern that coronavirus vaccines might be only as effective as flu vaccines, which have ranged from 20% to 60% effective in recent years.The broad, early effectiveness figures don't tell the whole story. Scientists also need to understand how well the vaccine protects people in different age groups and demographic categories.For both vaccines, the interim results were based on people who had COVID-19 symptoms that prompted a virus test. That means we don’t know yet whether someone who’s vaccinated might still get infected -- even if they show no symptoms -- and spread the virus.Also unknown is whether the shots will give lasting protection, or whether boosters will be required.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

What does COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness mean?

It refers to the likelihood that a coronavirus shot will work in people.

Two vaccine makers have said that preliminary results from their late-stage studies suggest their experimental vaccines are strongly protective. Moderna this week said its vaccine appears nearly 95% effective. This comes on the heels of Pfizer's announcement that its shot appeared similarly effective.

Those numbers raised hopes around the world that vaccines could help put an end to the pandemic sometime next year if they continue to show that they prevent disease and are safe.

Effectiveness numbers will change as the vaccine studies continue since the early calculations were based on fewer than 100 COVID-19 cases in each study. But early results provide strong signals that the vaccine could prevent a majority of disease when large groups of people are vaccinated.

U.S. health officials said a coronavirus vaccine would need to be at least 50% effective before they would consider approving it for use. There was concern that coronavirus vaccines might be only as effective as flu vaccines, which have ranged from 20% to 60% effective in recent years.

The broad, early effectiveness figures don't tell the whole story. Scientists also need to understand how well the vaccine protects people in different age groups and demographic categories.

For both vaccines, the interim results were based on people who had COVID-19 symptoms that prompted a virus test. That means we don’t know yet whether someone who’s vaccinated might still get infected -- even if they show no symptoms -- and spread the virus.

Also unknown is whether the shots will give lasting protection, or whether boosters will be required.

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