On August 11, shares of both Moderna and BioNTech plunged by 15.64% and 13.76% respectively following a report about possible side effects from their coronavirus vaccines. The European Union's drug regulator had already started an investigation into potential new side effects from the companies' respective COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, immunocompromised people make up about 2.7% of US adults or around 7 million people. People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are highly protected against severe infection, hospitalization, and death. However, coronavirus cases among the fully vaccinated, so-called breakthrough COVID cases, may also occur. The statistics provided by CNBC showed that 44% of coronavirus cases were recorded among fully vaccinated people.
A third vaccine shot against COVID-19 can help patients whose immune system does not respond to the first or second dose. At the same time, other studies have revealed that vaccines do not slow down the development of a new lambda mutation that has swept across South America.
The new lambda strain has been taken under control in 26 countries, including Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador. Notably, the vaccination rate in Chile is quite high. The percentage of people who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is 60%. In the US, the Lambda variant is less prominent with just one-tenth of 1% of the share - about 911 cases. To compare, the Delta variant cases amount to 77,692.
After the recent collapse, Moderna and Biotech stocks are gradually recovering, increasing by 2.55% and 2.51%, respectively. At the same time, the shares of US drug maker Pfizer continue to grow following the announcement of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The US drug regulator granted full approval to Pfizer Inc. (PFE.N)/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the first to secure such validation. "The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine," the company stated. Besides, this vaccine is suitable for people with weakened immunity and who have undergone organ transplantation.
