Two COVID-19 vaccines are available in the United States and a third, developed by Johnson & Johnson recently submitted an application for emergency use authorization, which means it may be available in early March.
With so many options, many people are wondering if it matters which photo they will take.
Related: Quick guide: COVID-19 vaccines and how they work
The short answer is that you should take whatever chance you are offered, the experts told Live Science. But there are several reasons why certain outlets may work better for different populations.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 66% effective in reducing severe and moderate cases of COVID-19, which include two mild symptoms or a more serious symptom, such as low blood oxygen levels or increased respiratory rate, Live Science previously reported. In other words, people vaccinated with the J&J injection were three times less likely to get a mild or moderate case of COVID-19 compared to participants who received a placebo. Meanwhile, the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine was 95% effective, and the Modern vaccine was 94% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, meaning any positive test with even a symptom, however mild. All three vaccines are believed to be 100% effective in preventing hospitalization and death related to COVID-19.
But while Moderna and Pfizer’s two-dose regimens appear, on paper, to be more effective, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has an advantage because it does not require a follow-up injection and can be stored at normal refrigerator temperatures for months, he said. Dr. Peter Gulick, professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. This could help vaccinate more people, especially those who cannot return for a second injection, as well as in places where access is a problem, he said.
The less stringent storage requirements for the Johnson & Johnson injection could be an advantage in rural areas, said Gulick. “They can be put in a refrigerator and stored there, while Moderna, and definitely Pfizer, need much cooler temperatures to keep their vaccine viable,” Gulick told Live Science. “The fact that you can easily store [the Johnson & Johnson vaccine] in a doctor’s office, pharmacy, etc., can make it more accessible. ”
This single injection vaccine may also be better for people who may have difficulty traveling to hospitals or mass vaccination sites (especially those at home or confined to bed).
“People have a chance, but there is no guarantee that they can go back to the second chance,” Gulick told Live Science.
With the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus, some protection is better than none. As a single vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s, requires only one injection, the same number of doses can go twice as long as other vaccines, which may be better for controlling the spread of the virus. However, the initial supply of the J&J vaccine will be limited; the company initially promised 12 million doses in March, but may fall behind in production, according to The New York Times.
Dr. William Lang, a former White House physician and medical director at JobSiteCare, told Live Science that the lower effectiveness should not dissuade people from getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Unlike Pfizer and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson tested their vaccine against South African variant, which has been shown to avoid neutralizing antibodies, which the immune system implements to prevent the coronavirus from infecting cells.
Related: COVID-19 vaccines: the new technology that made them possible
“The reported lower efficacy may be somewhat real, but it may also be a test function in a slightly different environment because of the new variants in circulation,” said Lang. “If my 88-year-old father or I received the J&J offer, I would not hesitate to receive it.”
Given the emergence of variants that escape the vaccine, such as the South African and Brazilian variants, reducing dissemination as quickly as possible is necessary to decrease the chances of new mutations evolving, said Gulick.
On the other hand, the Moderna and Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines, which send mRNA to muscle cells to tell the body to produce an immune reaction to the coronavirus peak protein, appear to be most effective, said Lang.
Gulick said that high-risk groups – such as the elderly, who have a less robust immune response, and immunocompromised people – should be prioritized for more effective vaccines.
“I would probably choose the two-dose vaccine Moderna and Pfizer, at least for my HIV patients. But if the insurance covers just one, I would say give it to them because I just want the vaccine on their arm,” said Gulick . “But I would choose a two-dose injection, if I had a preference.”
With the world exceeding 100 million COVID-19 cases, according to the World Health Organization Panel, most of us will not have a chance to choose and choose: it is only important to get vaccinated.
Originally published on Live Science.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Monday, February 15 at 5:20 pm EDT to clarify that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are available, unapproved, in the USA. They received emergency use authorization, not FDA full approval.