As other drug manufacturers increase the production of vaccines for COVID-19, Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) is still ahead of the pack. The stock is nearing 52-week highs again, helped by questions about Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) vaccine safety. The COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) is also banned in some places, giving Moderna an edge.
In all likelihood, JNJ’s DNA-based vaccine will resume usage. The risks of a blood clot are low compared to the cost of delaying its rollout. Unfortunately, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Moderna both declined to help JNJ is studying the root cause of the blood clot. This is a setback for science. Moderna and BioNTech have a four-in-one-million chance of a blood clot, too.
Moderna will benefit from the annual need for vaccine booster shots. It may apply the cash flow from sales to fund its pipeline of vaccines. It has nine prophylactic mRNA vaccines in the pipeline.
Speculators may consider betting on inferior firms like Sorrento (NASDAQ:SRNE) or Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INO) in this space. But Moderna, despite the stock up four-fold from 52-week lows, has long-term growth ahead.
Hold MRNA stock.