Almost a year after the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect life in New Jersey, scientists and researchers have achieved the spectacular feat of creating highly effective vaccines that, experts say, will help end the outbreak.
Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration and are the only vaccines currently in circulation in the United States. Both are mRNA vaccines and this is how they work.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine meets the requirements for Emergency Use Authorization, the FDA said on Wednesday, and full approval may come in a few days.
But what are the main differences between vaccines? And which one should you receive? Here’s what you need to know about the different vaccines.
Is there a preferred vaccine?
If you are eligible for a vaccine, get it. It doesn’t matter which one, experts say.
“You know, I have literally said to anyone who asks me, take what you can,” said David Cennimo, an infectious disease specialist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, to NJ Advance Media.
All three vaccines are very effective in preventing COVID-19 from becoming severe or resulting in people becoming symptomatic, he said.
Scientists are waiting to see more data to see whether vaccines are effective in preventing asymptomatic infections, said Cennimo, which is why people vaccinated are still encouraged to wear masks.
There is no way to choose a specific vaccine in New Jersey. Some vaccination sites have received only one type of vaccine, while others have received both, but few sites report in advance what they are offering.
“The vaccine’s effectiveness now for Pfizer and Moderna is quite similar,” said Stephanie Silvera, an epidemiologist and professor at Montclair State.
“And so, at this point, the goal is to vaccinate as many people as possible,” she told NJ Advance Media. “There is not much difference between the two.”
Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are administered at Camden County College. Here, the public health nurse from Camden County, Margarita Camacho, gives a vaccine.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Differences between vaccines
The Pfizer vaccine is an mRNA vaccine that requires two doses administered 21 days apart. It must be kept at ultra-cold storage temperature, but not all vaccination sites have this type of storage.
It is 95% effective in preventing symptomatic infections by COVID-19. The Pfizer vaccine is currently approved for people aged 16 and over. Pfizer also announced on Thursday that it has started studying a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine as part of a strategy to protect itself against mutant versions of the coronavirus.
The Modern vaccine is also an mRNA vaccine that requires two doses, but administered 28 days apart. It does not require temperatures as low as those required for the Pfizer vaccine.
It is 94.1% effective in preventing symptomatic infections by COVID-19. The Modern vaccine is currently approved for people aged 18 and over.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single injection, which does not require ultra-cold storage, making it ideal for easier vaccinations, potentially in doctors’ offices and pharmacies. It can last for three months in the refrigerator, according to the Associated Press.
It is considered 72% effective for study participants in the United States, preventing moderate and severe illness and 66% effective worldwide. The vaccine was 85% effective specifically against serious illnesses, J&J said.
People may be underestimating the value of J&J’s photo, said Cennimo, since it is “one and it’s ready”. Although it is less effective against serious illnesses, no one died, said Cennimo. The J&J injection can also help to inoculate more people quickly, rather than relying on mass vaccination sites.
“You know that to control this pandemic, having people who are not sick, not significantly sick is a very strong endpoint,” he said.
Similarities between vaccines
None of the vaccines can provide COVID-19, said Cennimo, or alter its genetic material. All of them have been highly effective in offering strong protection against severe COVID-19, according to the Associated Press.
Experts are sure that getting a vaccine is critical, regardless of the specific type.
“At the moment, it is not a vaccine against the vaccine, it is a vaccine against the virus,” Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Disease Control and Prevention Center, told the Associated Press.
Associated Press and NJ Advance Media staff writers Karin Price Mueller and Matthew Stanmyre contributed to this report.
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