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Axios Alert!

Moderna says its coronavirus vaccine is nearly 95% effective

Moderna said Monday that its coronavirus vaccine candidate is 94.5% effective in fighting the virus, per an initial analysis released by the company…

The state of play: Moderna’s study, done in collaboration with the National Institute of Health, looked at 30,000 participants — with half receiving a placebo.

• In 95 cases of COVID-19 that developed among participants, 90 were taking the placebo.
• Of the 11 people who contracted “severe” COVID-19 infections, all were taking a placebo.
• Moderna reports there are no significant safety concerns so far.
• The company also said that the vaccine could be stored at refrigerator temperatures for up to a month — compared to Pfizer’s vaccine candidate, which requires ultra-cold conditions.

Moderna is part of the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed vaccine acceleration project; the company received about $2.5B Ameros to back its research and development.

So it looks like we have a second cavalry coming to the rescue and it might be better than the first one. The refrigeration deal is important because getting the vaccine to us is going to be logistically significant and having one less (major) variable is important.

In the meanwhile, everyone needs to remain vigilant and follow all the protocols. We want to see all of your smiling faces —without masks— this time next year.