What are the options?
The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have already been approved by the FDA for emergency use. AstraZeneca is expected to apply for emergency use within the next few weeks.
Which vaccines require one dose and which two doses?
Johnson & Johnson is the only vaccine vaccine. The others all require two doses at different intervals. Pfizer suggests administering the two doses three weeks apart, Moderna suggests four weeks, and AstraZeneca suggests four to twelve weeks apart.
How effective are the vaccines?
In a clinical trial, Pfizer said the vaccine was 95% effective in preventing symptoms of COVID-19 and 100% effective in preventing serious cases. Moderna cites similar results, with 94% efficiency.
Johnson & Johnson found that the vaccine, which was tested in the US amid a larger increase in COVID-19 transmission, was generally 72% effective and 86% effective in preventing serious diseases.
The most recent US trial showed that AstraZeneca’s vaccine was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 cases, and that it was 100% effective in stopping serious cases and hospitalization.
Which vaccine is the most effective?
A word of warning before comparing the above efficacy rates with each other: the clinical trials for vaccinations have been done under different conditions, which may yield different results. For example, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was tested in an environment with many more COVID-19 variants in circulation and during a time when cases were increasing. The “best” vaccine is the one offered to you, and doctors remind the public about it.
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What are the side effects of each vaccine?
All three approved vaccines have the same common side effects, according to the Centers for Disease Control:
- Pain, redness and / or swelling in the arm where you get the chance
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Cold Fever
- Fever
- Nausea
Concerns about blood clots have forced several European countries to stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, after an investigation, the European Medicines Agency concluded that the vaccine did not increase the overall risk of blood clots, but could not rule out that it was associated with two very rare types of blood clots.
In the most recent U.S. trial of 20,000 people, experts found no increased risk for blood clots.
Which vaccines are most common in the US?
According to the CDC, the US received approximately 77 million doses of Pfizer, 75 million doses of Moderna and 4 million doses of J&J. Remember: the J&J vaccine only needs one dose, but it does require two doses of Pfizer or Moderna to vaccinate one person completely.
Can I choose which vaccine I receive?
At this point, no. It is possible that choices will degenerate if the supply becomes large enough.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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