Moderna's coronavirus vaccine shows promise in older adults

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Researchers said Tuesday that Moderna's coronavirus vaccine candidate produced virus-neutralizing antibodies in older adults that were similar to levels in younger adults, Reuters reports. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, also found that side effects from the vaccine were similar to those from high-dose flu shots. The side effects included headache, fatigue, body aches, and chills. "They might feel off or have a fever," said Dr. Evan Anderson, one of the study's lead researchers from Emory University in Atlanta. Anderson said the findings were reassuring, because immunity normally weakens with age. Moderna is testing the higher doses it researched in a large Phase III trial, the last hurdle before it can request emergency authorization or approval.

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Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.