Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, many people have wondered whether one vaccine is better than the other. The one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was not included in this study.Researchers are currently studying how effective these vaccines are against the Omicron variant, but most experts are confident the vaccines will continue to provide a meaningful level of protection.Experts say getting whichever vaccine is most accessible to you is the best approach.While Moderna has a slight edge over Pfizer, both vaccines prove to be extremely effective, especially in the prevention of severe disease, hospitalization, and death.The first head-to-head comparison of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is revealed.Since Pfizer's vaccine needs to be stored at such cold temperatures, experts said Moderna's vaccine may be prioritized for rural hospitals and community health centers that lack ultra-cold storage units.Share on Pinterest The first comparison of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines showed that both vaccines are incredibly protective against the disease, and people are urged to get whichever vaccine is the most readily available in their area. The biggest difference may be where the vaccines are deployed. Having slightly more side effects could be a sign that Moderna’s vaccine prompts a stronger immune response that might lead to longer-lasting immunity, but the durability of either vaccine remains one of the most pressing unanswered questions. “It could be that elicits a little more inflammation than the other,” Dr. Moderna’s bubble is a little stronger and more stable so it doesn’t need to be stored at sub-arctic temperatures. The companies use different tiny bubbles of fat to enclose the messenger RNA. The slight difference in side effects could be because of differences in the way researchers polled volunteers, or it could be something with the architecture of the vaccines, experts said. “We know that side effects happen actually because your immune system is working and waking up. “Just because a vaccine has side effects doesn’t mean it’s not safe,” said Dr. Typically the symptoms went away in one day. The table below lists the percentage of vaccinated volunteers who reported a side effect after either dose, although side effects were most common after the second injection. Peter Chin-Hong.įDA scientists found both vaccines are safe but short-term side effects are common, especially with Moderna’s drug.īoth vaccines are administered in two doses. “When I think people in the community look at that number, they might say, ‘Oh, that Moderna vaccine probably isn't as good for the older population compared to the Pfizer vaccine.’ But as a clinician looking at numbers, they're both amazing,” said UC San Francisco infectious disease expert Dr. Pfizer’s vaccine was 92.9 percent effective in people aged 65 to 74 and 100 percent effective in individuals 75 and up. In adults over 65, the efficacy of Moderna’s vaccine dipped slightly to 86.4 percent. “It's not a reason to recommend one versus the other.” In Pfizer’s trial of 44,000 volunteers, one vaccinated person got a severe case compared to 10 people in the placebo group. All 30 of those cases were in the placebo group, suggesting the vaccine offers powerful protection against the most serious symptoms. In Moderna’s study of 30,000 volunteers, 30 people got severe cases of COVID-19. But experts warned those differences may just be statistical illusions. However, signals in the data suggest Moderna’s vaccine may better protect against severe cases of COVID-19, while Pfizer’s vaccine may work better in adults over 65. The FDA confirmed their overall efficacy is essentially identical 95 percent for Pfizer and 94.1 percent for Moderna. SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Independent reviews by the FDA show the COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna have similar levels of safety and efficacy, although there are early indications of potential differences.īoth vaccines rely on the same basic approach: jumpstarting the immune system with messenger RNA.
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