Moderna says its coronavirus vaccine shows promising results in small trial of older patients

Moderna said Wednesday its candidate COVID-19 vaccine produced a favorable immune response among older patients in an early stage clinical trial. The company tested its vaccine on 10 adults aged 56-70 years and 10 adults aged 71 years and older, all of whom received two 100 mcg doses of the vaccine 28 days apart. The participants generated T-cells and neutralizing antibodies, Moderna said in its results, which have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. The level of antibodies was higher than seen in people who recovered from COVID-19. The vaccine also appeared to be well tolerated, with some patients reporting such adverse effects as fatigue, chills, headaches, and pain at the injection site that mostly resolved within 2 days. Moderna’s experimental vaccine contains genetic material called messenger RNA. The company anticipates completing enrollment for a Phase III trial involving 30,000 people in September to gauge the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.