With many now able to choose which COVID vaccine they receive, questions about which offers better protection against the delta variant, which is now growing, have increased.
Several studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of the vaccine, but is one vaccine really better than the others?
According to medical experts, the three vaccines currently available in the U.S. offer protection.
Here is a breakdown of what we know so far about each vaccine:
How effective are COVID vaccines against the delta variant?
The effectiveness of vaccines has been a major issue, as the delta variant continues to spread across the country.
Health experts have said that most of the hospitalizations and deaths associated with the variant in recent months are almost entirely in unvaccinated people. The CDC has said that the risk of infection is 8 times higher in the unvaccinated than in the vaccinated and that the risk of hospitalization or death is 25 times higher.
But is it better than the other to protect against advanced infections in vaccinated populations?
Researchers in Belgium directly compared the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines by testing the antibodies of 2,500 health workers after two doses of both vaccines.
The study found that the Modern vaccine produced more than twice as many antibodies compared to Pfizer, but doctors call for caution.
“The level of antibodies itself is interesting, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to a significant difference in the way the vaccine works,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Another study to consider when comparing vaccines is that of the Mayo Clinic earlier this month, which is pending a full review.
This study found that the risk of having a severe COVID-19 infection with the delta variant after being fully vaccinated with the Modern vaccine may be much lower than the risk for those who received the Pfizer vaccine.
The study reported that in July in Florida, where COVID cases are at record highs and the delta variant prevails, the risk of an advanced case was 60% lower for Moderna receptors compared to Pfizer receivers.
Similarly, in Minnesota last month, the authors found that the Modern vaccine (also known as mRNA-1273) was 76% effective in preventing infection, but the Pfizer vaccine (known as BNT162b2) was effective in 42%.
The study authors found that both vaccines “strongly protect” against serious diseases; the difference seems to be more basic about whether people get infected. The so-called pre-printed study, which has not been peer-reviewed and has not been published in an academic journal, was first published earlier this month.
Chicago is tracing advanced infections (COVID case reported in fully vaccinated people) by vaccine, but Arwady said they have not found a substantial pattern.
“We’ve seen the largest number of advanced infections in Chicagoans who have gotten Pfizer, but that’s because the largest number of kids have gotten Pfizer, not because we’ve seen a significant difference in someone who has had Pfizer in compared to the modern one, ”Arwady said. .
When NBC 5 asked the Illinois Department of Public Health for an advanced breakdown, spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said “all three vaccines have been reported in hospitalizations and major deaths. Similar to the CDC, IDPH does not currently report this. breakdown “.
While Moderna’s dose vaccine remains “durable” six months after the second shot, coronavirus immunity will continue to decline and eventually decrease the vaccine’s effectiveness, the company said in slides accompanying its second quarter profit report.
The company said its vaccine is 93% effective six months after the second dose. In comparison, Pfizer and BioNTech said their vaccine effectiveness decreased by about 84% after six months.
Johnson & Johnson reported last month that the data showed that its vaccine “generated strong, persistent activity against the rapidly spreading delta variant and other highly prevalent SARS-CoV-2 viral variants.”
“Current data from the eight months studied so far show that the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine generates a strong neutralizing antibody response that does not decrease; rather, we see an improvement over time.” said global doctor Mathai Mammen of Janssen Research & Development for Johnson & Johnson, said in a statement. “In addition, we observe a persistent and particularly robust and long-lasting cellular immune response.”
Delta, the dominant form of the disease in the United States, is more communicable than the common cold, the Spanish flu of 1918, smallpox, Ebola, MERS, and SARS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Will a reinforcement shot be needed?
U.S. health authorities are now recommending an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for all Americans eight months after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna shot.
In a joint statement, the directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and other leading medical experts outlined plans to begin administering booster shots by the end of next month. .
The overall plan is pending an evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the Third Dose Food and Drug Administration, officials said.
Those who were fully vaccinated before, which include health workers, residential residents and other seniors, will be the first to receive a vaccine before they are available to the general public.
U.S. regulators have already authorized an additional dose of Pfizer or Modern COVID-19 vaccines for people with compromised immune systems earlier this month. The advisory panel of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommended additional intake for these people.
The announcement applies to several million Americans who are especially vulnerable due to organ transplants, certain cancers, or other disorders, and who received COVID Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.
According to the CDC, the list includes people who have:
- I have received active cancer treatment for tumors or blood cancers
- He has received an organ transplant and is taking medication to suppress the immune system
- Has received a stem cell transplant in the last 2 years or is taking drugs to suppress the immune system
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high doses of corticosteroids or other medications that can suppress your immune response
The agency notes that “people should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition and whether it is appropriate for them to receive an additional dose.”
People who received the unique Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also need a booster vaccine, but more information is needed because the United States did not begin administering it until March 2021, officials said.
Health officials hope to receive more data “in the coming weeks” and “will keep citizens informed with a timely plan for J&J booster shots.”
FDA and CDC approval and recommendation for immunocompromised individuals does not apply to those who received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
With a view to initiating booster shots, NBC 5 asked Dr. Richard Novak, head of the University of Illinois Division of Health Infectious Diseases Division, whether patients with Pfizer should be in the front row.
“Based on the limited information we have, it makes sense to give the drivers and go first to the highest risk groups. If people who get Pfizer vs. Modern need or not to worry more, we still don’t have enough information yet to say so, ”Novak said.
The initial guideline is maintained and the CDC recommends that you complete a full course of the same vaccine and do not mix coronavirus vaccines.
What about the side effects with booster shots?
The CDC stated that the side effects with the third shot “were similar to those in the two-dose series.”
The most common symptoms include fatigue and pain at the injection site, but “most symptoms were mild to moderate.”
As with previous doses of the vaccine, the CDC notes that “serious side effects are rare, but they can occur.”
Are COVID vaccines approved by the FDA?
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted Pfizer and BioNTech full U.S. approval of the COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first in the United States to win the coveted designation.
Until now, the Pfizer mRNA vaccine was on the U.S. market under an emergency use authorization, granted by the FDA in December.
The companies filed an application for a biological license with the FDA on May 7 for patients 16 years of age or older. This request was approved on Monday.
The vaccine is also available under emergency use authorization (US) for 12- to 15-year-olds and for a third booster dose in those with compromised immune systems, the FDA said.
Although Pfizer is currently the only fully approved vaccine, it is also the only vaccine authorized for emergency use in adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, although Moderna applied for this approval in early this year.
The emergency use authorization allows a vaccine to be available before full approval in the event of public health emergencies. The FDA can revoke the US at any time.
Moderna two-shot vaccines and Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccines continue to be available also under an emergency use authorization.
Modern also announced in June that it had begun an “ongoing submission” to the FDA of data from its studies on the mRNA dose vaccine.
“We are pleased to announce this important step in the U.S. regulatory process for a biological product (BLA) license application for our COVID-19 vaccine,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said at the time. “We look forward to working with the FDA and will continue to submit data from our Phase 3 study and complete the ongoing submission.”
Large-scale studies of the shootings continued after Moderna’s emergency clearance. The FDA will examine the information to see if the vaccine meets strict criteria for obtaining a full license.