U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), a federal agency which authorizes drugs and vaccines in the United States, has recently approved two COVID-19 vaccines. As distribution of vaccines has been started and vaccines will become more and more available in near future, here are ten things that you need to know about COVID-19 vaccines approved:
| Questions | Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine1,3,4 | Moderna COVID-19 vaccine2,3,4 |
|---|---|---|
| How effective is the vaccine in OVERALL population? | 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 among clinical trial participants who were tracked for a median of two months after getting their second dose. 0.04% clinical trial participants who received the vaccine developed COVID-19 compared to 0.64% clinical trial participants who received placebo (an inactive substance used as a control) | 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19 among clinical trial participants who were tracked for a median of seven weeks after getting their second dose. 0.04% clinical trial participants who received the vaccine developed COVID-19 compared to 0.88% clinical trial participants who received placebo |
| How effective is the vaccine in eldelry people | 93.7% effective in people ages 56 and older | 100% effective in people ages 65 and older |
| How effective is the vaccine in MEN? | 95.3% effective | 95.5% effective |
| How effective is the vaccine in WOMEN? | 93.9% effective | 93.5% effective |
| How effective is the vaccine in people with pre-existing medical conditions? | 95.3% effective in patients with chronic lung disease, significant cardiac disease, diabetes, liver disease, HIV, severe obesity, cancer, kidney disease, dementia and vascular disease. | 95.9% effective in patients with chronic lung disease, significant cardiac disease, diabetes, liver disease, HIV and severe obesity. |
| Who can get a vaccine? | People 16 years old and older | People 18 years old and older |
| Who can NOT get a vaccine? | CDC recommends that people with a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine should not take a vaccine and should consult a doctor. No safety data available in patients with HIV or weakened immune system or autoimmune diseases. | CDC recommends that people with a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine should not take a vaccine and should consult a doctor. No safety data available in patients with HIV or weakened immune system or autoimmune diseases. |
| Number of shots required for vaccine to be fully effective | 2 shots, 21 days apart | 2 shots, 28 days apart. |
| Side effects | Pain around the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever. | Pain around the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever. |
| Price | $19.50 per dose for first 100 million doses | $25-$37 per dose |
References:
- FDA briefing document, Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Available at https://www.fda.gov/media/144245/download
- FDA briefing document, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. Available at https://www.fda.gov/media/144434/download
- COVID-19 vaccines, Available at https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/covid-19-vaccines
- How the COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer compare head to head. Available at https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-12-15/how-the-covid-19-vaccines-from-moderna-and-pfizer-compare-head-to-head
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