Are some COVID-19 vaccines more effective than others?

Are some COVID-19 vaccines more effective than others?

It is difficult to see because they have not been directly compared in studies. But experts believe the vaccines are similar in importance, preventing hospitalizations and deaths.

“Fortunately, all of these vaccines seem to protect us from serious diseases,” said Dr. Monica Gandhi of the University of California, San Francisco said, citing study results for five vaccines used around the world and a sixth still under review.

And evidence from the real world, as millions of people receive the vaccinations, shows that they all work very well.

People may still wonder if one is better than the other, as studies conducted before the vaccines were incorporated found different levels of effectiveness. The problem is that they do not offer apple-to-apple comparisons.

Consider the two-dose vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which are approximately 95% effective in preventing disease. Studies for these shots counted a case of COVID-19 whether it was mild, moderate or severe – and were conducted before worrying mutated versions of the virus began circulating.

Then Johnson and Johnson tested a single dose of vaccine and did not count mild illnesses. J & J’s shot was 66% protective against moderate to severe diseases in a large international study. In the US alone, where fewer variants are distributed, it was 72% effective. More importantly, once the effect of the vaccine kicked into it, it was hospitalized and death prevented.

AstraZeneca’s dual dose vaccine used in many countries has raised questions about the exact degree of efficacy indicated by studies. But experts agree that these shots also protect against the worst results.

Around the world, hospital admissions are falling in countries where vaccines have been expanded, including Israel, England and Scotland – no matter what shots are fired. And the U.S. government’s first look at the actual data among essential workers provided further evidence that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highly protective – 90% – against infections, whether or not there were symptoms.