I.in a world of excellence, a vaccine could deliver pandemic in one glance, so supply could be stretched to cover many people. It would not induce any side effects more important than a sore arm. And it would be easy to remove and store.
Unfortunately, this is not a separate world – it still isn’t, anyway.
For now, the good news is that the United States has two Covid-19 vaccines that have been proven to be very effective.
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The following is a head-to-head comparison of those developed by Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, and with Moderna. Note that the chances that most people will be able to choose “one” are largely “narrow”, especially in the first place. The vaccine available is the one you get.
Target population
Pfizer is an emergency use permit for people aged 16 and over. Moderna’s is for people 18 and older, although the company has begun testing their vaccine in 12- to 17-year-olds.
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Vaccine effect
Both vaccines have shown remarkable – and almost identical – levels, at least in the early stages after vaccination. How they accumulate in the long run remains to be seen.
The Pfizer vaccine showed a 95% efficacy in prevention of Covid’s syndrome, measured starting from seven days after the second dose. The vaccine appeared to be relatively immune across age groups and ethnic and ethnic groups.
The Moderna vaccine was 94.1% effective in inhibiting symptomatic Covid-19, measured starting from 14 days after the second dose. Vaccination effectiveness appeared to be slightly lower in people aged 65 and over, but at a presentation to the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee the company explained that the numbers could be affected by the low incidence. that age group in the test. . Vaccinations appeared to be equally effective across different racial and ethnic groups.
Both vaccines appeared to reduce the risk of Covid’s disease. It is not yet known whether either prevents asymptomatic infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is unknown if people can be vaccinated against the virus if they are infected but if they show no symptoms.
Number of doses / amount of vaccine per dose
Both the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines require two shots: a priming dose, followed by a booster shot. The interval between Moderna doses is 28 days; for the Pfizer vaccine, it is 21 days.
Each dose of Pfizer’s contains 30 micrograms of vaccine. Moderna went with a much larger dose of vaccine, 100 micrograms. It means it uses a little more than three times the amount of vaccine per person than Pfizer. But still, they are not getting better results.
Side effect profile
At the mouth of the vaccine, vaccines that induce a range of antidepressant effects are called vaccines in many recipients.
Both of these vaccines – in fact, most if not all Covid-19 vaccines reported to date – fall into the reactogenic category. The Advisory Committee on Vaccine Practices, an expert panel that will help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set vaccine policies, has advised hospitals that they may want to discontinue vaccinations among staff – such as for example, do not vaccinate all emergency room workers at the same time – in case some feel too ill for work the day after receiving the vaccine.
The most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain. Some people in the clinical trials have reported fever. Side effects are more common after the second dose; Younger adults, who have stronger immune systems, reported more side effects than older adults.
To be clear: These side effects are a sign of an immune system kicking into gear. They do not indicate that the vaccine is dangerous. To date there are no long-term side effects associated with receiving these vaccines, which will be closely monitored as their use expands.
There have been very few reports of people getting an allergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine since its inception. These reactions – anaphylaxis or severe allergic reactions – have not been observed in clinical trials. It remains to be seen whether similar events will occur in the Moderna vaccine.
Safety for those who are pregnant or lactating
None of the vaccines were tested in these two groups.
Moderna has completed animal inspections requested by the FDA from manufacturers; these studies look for evidence that the vaccine could harm the fetus or the developing fetus. The company said it had not seen such signs.
Pfizer only has interim data from its animal studies, but said it has not seen any additional signs of concern.
T.the authors for both vaccines say there are not enough data to gauge whether they are safe for pregnant or lactating people. Peter Marks of FDA, director of the Center for Biological Assessment and Research, said Friday that pregnant women should choose whether to get vaccinated after discussing the risks and benefits with the their doctors.
Storage requirements
Both of these vaccines require a cold-pressed series, the term used to describe the conditions under which vaccines must be stored at the time of circulation and when in doctors’ offices, pharmacies, or health clinics. public where they are given.
But the Moderna vaccine will be much easier to use than Pfizer’s. To get started, Moderna’s must be set at -4 Fahrenheit; Pfizer’s must be removed and stored at -94 Fahrenheit. The first is a constant cooling freezer temperature; the second requires special ultra-cold freezers that need to be filled with dry ice every five days. Doctors’ offices do not have ultracold freezers; pharmacies are not neighborhoods either.
After thawing, a vial of the Pfizer vaccine must be used within five days; Moderna’s is stable at fridge temperature for 30 days and at room temperature for 12 hours.
Minimum purchase order
The ultracold storage requirement is not the only challenging part of the Pfizer vaccine. The minimum vaccine that a place can prescribe is 975 doses. A large teaching hospital may require several of these. But there are plenty of places across the country that don’t need 975 doses to get the people who are currently eligible for vaccination – health workers and nursing home residents. This is the vaccine that must be kept at 9494 F. The minimum order size limits the places where this vaccine can be used.
The minimum order for a Moderna vaccine is 100 doses, a much easier to manage number.
The Pfizer vaccine is delivered in five-dose filters; The Moderna vaccine is placed in 10-dose filters.
Stability of protection
It determines how long the protection afforded by one of these vaccines lasts. This is going to occasionally bring in blood from some volunteers to see what their antibody levels are like, although a decrease in antibody levels does not equate to a loss of immunity.
But a big part of this work will involve looking for reports that people who have received the vaccine are starting to contract Covid in larger numbers, a development that could be leading to suggestions to give people elevated views at times yet to be determined.