Moderna said that its experimental COVID-19 vaccine elicited an immune response in people ages 56 and older comparable to results seen in younger adults in early trials, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Older adults are at a higher risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 because the immune system weakens with age. Some experts have been concerned that COVID-19 vaccines won't offer as much protection for the vulnerable age group, according to the Journal.
The subjects in the Moderna trial who were older than 56 developed neutralizing antibodies in ranges similar to subjects in the 18-to-55 age range about four weeks after receiving a second dose of the vaccine.
The median antibody levels in all age groups were above those found in the blood of people who had recovered from COVID-19.
The vaccine has advanced to late-stage phase 3 testing, the Journal reported.
Moderna said the vaccine was well-tolerated across all age groups, though some patients experienced fatigue, fever, chills and injection-site pain. The drugmaker said it plans to submit the trial results for publication in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Moderna has started a large trial to assess whether the immune response translates into actual protection against COVID-19, the Journal reported. It currently has more than 15,200 volunteers and is aiming to get to 30,000.
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