Pfizer and BioNTech have been authorized by the FDA to sell boosters for the COVID-19 vaccine. The agency granted authorizations for Moderna's and Johnson & Johnson's vaccines, with limitations for which individuals could receive the Moderna booster.
The FDA expanded its Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna boosters to include all adults over the age of 18. Almost 42 million Americans have received booster shots.
Which vaccine maker is winning the battle of the boosters? It's still early, but Moderna appears to be ahead in a number of respects.
The image is from the same source.
The Moderna and J&J boosters have received more booster doses than Pfizer-BioNTech. Pfizer and BioNTech are in the lead.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the source.
You would think that more people would have received the booster. It has been available for a month for many Americans, including those 65 and older.
More people received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine initially than the other two. A lot of people received the same vaccine for their primary series that they received the booster for. The chart shows how the different vaccines stack up against each other.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the source.
Moderna is the biggest winner with boosters so far and not Pfizer or BioNTech. There are three reasons.
Moderna's 18 million booster doses made it more money than Pfizer or BioNTech made from their booster doses. Pfizer and BioNTech split their profits, but Moderna doesn't.
Moderna is gaining more traction with boosters than Pfizer-BioNTech or J&J. Moderna boosters have been given to a little over 25% of the people receiving the primary series of the vaccine. Pfizer-BioNTech has a ratio of 21.3%.
More people seem to be choosing Moderna over any other vaccine type because of the mix-and-match boosters. The Moderna booster has been used by more people than the Pfizer-BioNTech booster and the J&J booster.
Why is Moderna winning?
We don't know why Moderna is gaining steam. I have a theory as to why it is happening.
My hunch is that Moderna's efficacy against the delta variant is higher than the Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The J&J vaccine was not as effective as its two competitors. The efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine appears to have waned more than the Moderna vaccine has.
Preliminary data shows that a mix-and-match combination of the Pfizer-BioNTech primary series and a Moderna booster may be making a difference. The minister of health in Singapore recommended that citizens who received the Pfizer-bioNTech vaccine get the Moderna booster.
Moderna's out performance in boosters will not have much effect on the vaccine stock. Many investors don't pay attention to the data. The U.S. has already purchased enough Moderna to meet demand.
What matters for Moderna is how strong the demand will be for the vaccine. The company's fight against the omicron variant could have a big impact on the demand. The most important factors will be whether or not annual vaccines are required to prevent COVID-19 and what price Moderna will be able to charge.
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