Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was more effective at preventing hospitalizations caused by the virus than Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson's vaccines in a study released Sept. 10 by the CDC.
The study found that all three vaccines were collectively 86 percent effective at preventing hospitalization, with Moderna's being 95 percent effective, Pfizer's being 80 percent effective and Johnson & Johnson's being 60 percent effective.
The results were based on the largest U.S. study to date of real-world effectiveness of the three vaccines, according to The Washington Post. It included 32,000 people treated in hospitals, emergency departments and urgent care clinics in nine states between June and early August.
The CDC didn't give any reasons as to why Moderna's shot may offer better protection against hospitalization, but a possibility is that Moderna's vaccine dose is three times higher than Pfizer's and that there is a longer interval between shots, the Post reported.
A smaller study conducted by Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic in August showed Moderna's shot was more effective than Pfizer's at preventing infections during the delta surge, the Post reported.
Public health officials still urge the public to get whichever vaccine is available rather than wait to get a specific one, according to the Post.
Find the full study results here.