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#TeamPfizer and #TeamModerna are two of the captions often found next to selfies of proud newly vaccinated people on social media. And both groups do have a reason to celebrate as the two mRNA vaccines available in the US have proved to be highly effective against severe COVID-19.
Research published in recent weeks, however, suggests the Moderna vaccine’s advantage in terms of long-term protection. In multiple independent studies, significantly lower antibody levels and more vaccine breakthrough infections have been detected in the Pfizer/BioNTech-vaccinated population. These could be explained by a myriad of slight differences between the vaccines themselves: their distinct dosages, the intervals between the two doses, or the composition of the lipid nanoparticles used in each one. For now, all possibilities remain open.
By comparing vaccines and exploring the basis of their differences, “we are going to learn a lot in terms of what are ...
