LOS ANGELES - New data released by Moderna on Wednesday found that people who were vaccinated more recently had greater protection from breakthrough COVID-19 cases caused by concerning variants of the coronavirus.Moderna said its data supports the benefit of a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, pointing to evidence of waning protection over time.In a vaccine effectiveness study conducted with Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), researchers found that participants who were vaccinated more recently (median 8 months after first dose) had a lower risk of contracting a breakthrough COVID-19 infection than those who were vaccinated last year (median 13 months after first dose).RELATED: COVID-19 booster: FDA strikes neutral tone on.