Everything you Need to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccines
By: Brandi Dodd
As of January 2021, two COVID vaccines have been approved by the CDC: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Both vaccines are mRNA vaccines, which “contain material from the virus that causes COVID-19 that gives our cells instructions for how to make a harmless protein that is unique to the virus.”, according to the CDC article “Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work”. After the protein is created, they begin to break down and destroy the genetic material found in the vaccine.
Along with a similar makeup, both vaccines also require two doses to be effective, the first dose being a “priming dose” while the second is described as a “booster” dose. The first “priming” dose is used to help the immune system create an initial response to the virus, while the second “booster” dose is aimed at furthering the immune system’s response for long term protection.
After the first dose, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is roughly 52% effective while the Modernas Vaccine is roughly 80% effective after a single dose.
After the second dose, both vaccines are about 95% effective in providing protection against COVID-19.
So what are the differences between these two vaccines?
Well, currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is aimed at ages 16 and up, while the Moderna vaccine is aimed at ages 18 and up, however, Moderna has begun testing from ages 12 to 17.
While both vaccines require two doses, the wait time in between receiving doses is not the same. For the Moderna vaccine, the wait is 28 days long, while Pfizer-BioNTech is only 21 days long.
There is also a difference in the number of micrograms in each dose, Modernas being 100 micrograms, and Pfizer-BioNTechs being 30.
So far, a little over 30 million shots have been administered in the US, with the first in line recipients being health-care workers (phase 1A).
Some symptoms/side effects that have been reported after receiving the vaccines were:
- Redness/Swelling around the injection site
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Headache
- Aching limbs
Please note that these side effects are common, and are a normal sign that the vaccine is working properly.
The next target in line to receive the vaccine are people in pharmacy or clinic settings. The US has also begun administering vaccines to residents over the age of 65, along with people suffering from certain medical conditions. The U.S is working on rolling out the vaccine for all American citizens as soon as possible.
The state of Texas has moved on phase 1B, which includes residents over 65 and people over the age of 16 who suffer from the following health conditions:
- Cancer
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Heart Conditions
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Sickle Cell Disease
- COPD
Phase 1B in Texas also includes those who have had organ transplants.
People next in line to receive the vaccine will have a chance to opt-out if they please.
At this point, due to the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are no official payment requirements in order to receive the vaccine but it is unclear how long the “free” status will last. According to Healthline News, “Uninsured patients may be hit with a fee if the provider doesn’t submit a claim to the relief fund.”
Questions and concerns:
Is the COVID Vaccine safe?
Yes, the COVID Vaccine was tested in large clinical trials prior to its release and is being monitored by the FDA and CDC.
Do I need a COVID-19 Vaccine if I have already previously been infected?
Yes, to prevent reinfection you are encouraged to get the COVID-19 Vaccine when available to you.
Can the vaccine give me COVID-19?
No, the currently approved vaccines do not contain a live strain of the COVID-19 virus.
For any further questions, visit the CDCs COVID-19 Myths and Facts page.
The Vaccine Testing Process:
There are five main steps a vaccine must go through to be released for use. It starts with preclinical testing.
Preclinical testing is when scientists test new vaccines on cells, then going on to give the vaccine to animals to determine if an immune response is produced.
Phase 1: Safety Trials
If preclinical testing succeeds, the process moves on to Phase 1. This is when the Vaccine is given to people, but only to a small controlled group. This is important for figuring out the dosage, along with making sure the vaccine does in fact stimulate the immune system.
Phase 2: Expanded Trials
In this phase, the number of people receiving the vaccine is expanded from small groups to hundreds of people. The goal of this phase is to test a range of people to determine if a different reaction occurs.
Phase 3:
This phase is aimed at determining effectiveness amongst thousands of people.
Implementation
The vaccine gets approved or denied for further use, licensing, and manufacturing. This is based on the results acquired from the previous phases.
Upcoming Vaccines:
Janssen: Johnson & Johnson have developed a single shot, protein-based vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently taking 22 days to analyze the data from the phase 3 trials. A decision on whether to issue out the Janssen vaccine will be released as late as February 26th.
Novavax: Novavax is a protein-based, two-dose vaccine. Phase 3 trials took place in the UK, with results showing that the Novavax vaccine is 89% effective in fighting the initial COVID-19 strain. Novavax has begun recruiting for Phase 3 trials set to take place in the US and has submitted results from their early clinical trials to the FDA for further review.
Oxford-Astrazeneca: This vaccine is a 2 dose protein-based vaccine. Phase 3 trials conducted in the UK, Brazile, and South Africa, have shown one dose is 76% effective. After receiving both doses, vaccine efficiency is 82%. During the initial rollout of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine in South Africa, it was shown to be ineffective in fighting against the new virus variant. Its use has been temporarily stopped, with South African health officials considering starting up again.
For more information on everything COVID-19, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
For information on Texas-specific COVID-19 updates visit: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/
