As the urge for herd immunity increases, many people are questioning which of the three available COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. they should choose. Currently, the three options are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Although these vaccines aim to achieve the same thing, there are some stark differences between them that are important to acknowledge.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) on Dec. 11, 2020. The vaccine has been proven to have a 95% efficacy rate after two shots, which are twenty-one days apart. Anyone ages 12 and over is eligible to receive the vaccine. The vaccine is equally effective across all genders, ages, races, ethnicities, and BMIs (Body Mass Indexes). The vaccine does come with its fair share of side effects, including but not limited to: chills, body aches, headaches, tiredness, and swelling or rash at the injection site. Despite the positives of the Pfizer vaccine, there are some setbacks, such as needing to get a booster shot.
The Moderna vaccine was the second vaccine approved by the FDA on Dec. 18, 2020.
It is slightly less effective than the Pfizer vaccine, around 86% effective in people 65 years and older, and 90% effective following full immunization after two shots. This vaccine is only available to people aged 18 years and older only, although current testing is being done for younger children ages 6 months to 12 years and those ages 12-17 as well. Moderna has all of the same side effects as Pfizer, but there is an extra issue to be cautious of with this vaccine: Moderna could trigger anaphylaxis, which is when the body goes into shock. Therefore, like Pfizer, it is required to wait 15 minutes after your dose of the vaccine before leaving the injection site. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Moderna is also easier to distribute than Pfizer; it can withstand long-term storage in freezer temperatures and can go 30 days with normal refrigeration.
The third COVID-19 vaccine currently being offered in the U.S. is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It was approved by the FDA on Feb. 27, 2021. However, a factor to consider is that this vaccine has been halted as of April due to blood clotting problems being reported by six people 13 days after their vaccinations occurred. Although this problem seems to be very rare, I would not take this vaccine with where it is at right now. Johnson & Johnson may be having its setbacks, but it is the easiest of the three vaccines to store, being fine at an average refrigerator temperature. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine also only requires a single shot (although they may start testing to observe whether or not receiving 2 doses 2 months apart would be more beneficial). The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is only available for adults 18 and older, like the Moderna vaccine. They may start testing in children as well. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has an efficacy of 72%, and is effective against both mutations of the COVID-19 virus.
Looking at the efficacy percentages, the order of effectiveness is Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and then Johnson & Johnson. Though Pfizer-BioNTech is most effective against this current strand of COVID-19, it may not be effective against the strand in South Africa. Moderna, on the other hand, is effective against the mutations in both Great Britain and South Africa. Based on these facts as well as other factors such as storage, I would say that Moderna seems to be the best option for a COVID-19 vaccine as of right now. However, since it is only currently available to adults 18 years and older, I would suggest getting the Pfizer-BioNTech if you do not meet that age requirement yet.