Moderna says that the immunity of the COVID-19 vaccine should remain for at least a year

(Reuters) – Immunity to the COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna Inc. should last at least a year, the company said Monday at a JP Morgan Healthcare conference.

The drugmaker said it is confident that the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology it has used is suitable for implementing a vaccine based on the new variant of coronavirus that has emerged in a handful of countries.

The company’s vaccine, mRNA-1273, uses synthetic mRNA to mimic the surface of the coronavirus and teach the immune system to recognize and neutralize it.

Moderna said in December that it would carry out tests to confirm the activity of the vaccine against any strain. (reut.rs/3brXn6w)

The company said Monday that it expects to deliver between 600 million doses and 1 billion vaccines in 2021 and expect vaccine-related sales of $ 11.7 billion for that year, based on early purchase agreements signed with governments.

“The team is very comfortable with the experience we have now … that we are on track to deliver at least 600 million doses,” said CEO Stéphane Bancel.