COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Shows Promise for Elderly (Sept. 29, 2020)

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https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20200929/covid-19-vaccine-trial-shows-promise-for-elderly

COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Shows Promise for Elderly

By Brenda Goodman, MA

Sept. 29, 2020 -- An experimental vaccine against the virus that causes COVID-19 appears to generate more antibodies in people over the age of 70 than it does in even middle-aged adults.

If the antibody responses seen in the study translate into protection against the infection, the results could mean the elderly -- the population that has been hardest hit by COVID -- could receive strong protection from the shot. According to the CDC, eight out of 10 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have been in adults over age 65.

The vaccine, mRNA-1273, is made by the drug company Moderna, and it uses a new type of technology to coax the body to produce an immune response to the virus.