Washington, December 4: Moderna Inc, which is one of the leading COVID-19 vaccine developers, may succeed in producing antibodies that can last for "around 3 months". The conclusion was derived from a study conducted by the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) - the top US anti-infectious disease - which is also the co-developer of the Moderna vaccine. Barack Obama Says He May Take COVID-19 Vaccine on TV to Boost Public Confidence.

The researchers, while writing about their study in the New England Journal of Medicine, said the trial participants whom they analysed developed potent antibodies that endure for at least three months. Over a period of 90 days, the antibodies began fading away.

The study was conducted on 34 adult volunteers who were part of the clinical trials of Moderna vaccine. They include both young and old volunteers, and were inoculated with the experimental shots in the first stage of clinical trials.

The antibodies are considered as crucial to combat the SARS-CoV-2019 virus, which causes the coronavirus infection. The study noted that the antibodies formed to combat the virus "declined slightly over time, as expected, but they remained elevated in all participants 3 months after the booster vaccination."

Dr Anthony Fauci, who heads the NIAID, said the fading away of antibodies is not a sign of worry. Even though the antibodies get faded, the immune system will be able to remember the SARS-CoV-19 virus when it invades the body again, the top US epidemiologist pointed out.

The Moderna vaccine is developed using the mRNA technology -- the same method which rival Pfizer-BioNtech has used. The vaccine candidate would be reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 17, and the release is expected soon after it receives the regulator's nod.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 04, 2020 09:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainme