In December of 2020, the first two FDA approved Covid-19 vaccines were released throughout the USA. They were: The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine and the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. Shortly after, in February of 2021, another Covid-19 vaccine was approved, the Johnson and Johnson single dose Covid-19 vaccine. Previously, the Covid-19 vaccine has been mainly reserved for healthcare professionals/medical workers, high risk patients, and senior citizens. Now however, the vaccines are starting to become available to the general population, so it is important for one to be educated about the different Covid-19 vaccines, which one is right for you, and the pros and cons of the vaccines.
The PfizerBioNTech vaccine was approved for emergency usage in the United States on December 11th,2020. The vaccine uses an mRNA strand to make the body create Covid-19 antibodies. The main benefit of this vaccination method is that there is no chance that the patient becomes seriously ill after the insertion of the vaccine. This is because there is no live virus in this vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, an initial dose followed by a second dose 21 days later. The effectiveness of the vaccine is around 52% twelve days after the first dose and 95% after the second dosage. Furthermore, this vaccine has been declared as effective against the South African variant of Covid-19. The Moderna vaccine is available for anyone over the age of 16 and needs specific temperatures for the vaccine to remain “intact”. These temperatures are generally considered quite difficult to maintain outside of a controlled environment.
The Moderna vaccine was approved for emergency usage in the United States on December 18th, 2020. Similar to the PfizerBioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccine also uses mRNA technology to help the body create Covid-19 antibodies. As is known to the public, the Moderna vaccine is identical(in the way that it is made and given out). However, it is different because it requires patients to be 18 years of age, is a lot more unrestricted with the temperatures that it needs to be kept at, and requires 28 days between the 2 doses of the vaccine. Also similar to the PfizerBioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccine has a high rate of effectiveness, with 80.2% effectiveness after the first dose and 95.6% effectiveness after the second dose. It has also been effective against the U.K. and South African variants.
The Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine was January 30th,2021. It is unique because it was the first approved single dose Covid-19 vaccine. This vaccine is created using an adenovirus that delivers instructions to the cells to help create antibodies. Furthermore, this vaccine has a much higher shelf life and does not require specific temperatures for storage. This vaccine also has a lower rate of effectiveness when compared to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the rate of effectiveness is only 66%. However, it must be noted that the effectiveness at stopping severe cases is 85%, the effectiveness at stopping moderate cases is 72% and the effectiveness against the South African variant is 57%. This reveals that the vaccine is quite effective to prevent severe illnesses, but is not ideal if one wants protection from the virus altogether(including the South African virus). The main drawing point of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is the easy storage and quick implementation.
So the question now would be “Which Covid-19 vaccine is the best for you?”. That question is not as straightforward as the numbers suggest. Each vaccine has a specific niche that it fulfills in terms of demand. The Pfizer vaccine is best catered to teenagers under the age of 18, as it is the only vaccine that is available for that age group. It is also usable by people over the age range of 18, but for that age group the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine would be the best choice. This is because it has a slightly higher rate of effectiveness. Furthermore, it is more effective and quicker. However, if someone wants the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible to for example go on a trip, then the Johnson and Johnson vaccine would be the best choice. This is because it is a single dose and goes to “full strength”. That means that the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is the best choice if someone has to go to a possibly exposed area a short period of time after the vaccine.
Even though the best vaccine for each “sub-group” has been decided, it must be made clear that none of the vaccines are bad options. Furthermore, they might not even be the only options soon. Novavax and Oxford-AstraZeneca are two new “companies” producing the vaccine. As public rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine starts, it will not always be possible to get the “best” vaccine, as vaccine centers likely will not have many or any options. In this situation, one must know that any of the Covid-19 vaccines are safe and acceptable options, a Covid-19 vaccine is always preferable to no Covid-19 vaccine. Hopefully, as more vaccines are manufactured and more companies enter the space, the rest of the US and the entire world get vaccinated as well. This would make the world one step closer to completely fighting off Covid-19.
Sources
“Understanding MRNA COVID-19 Vaccines.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html.
Stieg, Cory. “What You Need to Know about the Covid Vaccines: From Johnson & Johnson's Newly Approved Single-Dose to the Effectiveness of Each One.” CNBC, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2021, www.cnbc.com/2021/01/29/covid-vaccine-comparing-jnj-pfizer-moderna-novavax.html.
Reviewed by UPMCJanuary 19, 2021. “What's the Difference Between Moderna and Pfizer Vaccines?” UPMC HealthBeat, 8 Mar. 2021, share.upmc.com/2021/01/vaccines-moderna-pfizer/.