AstraZeneca’s could likely be the vaccine most of the world takes. Those from Pfizer and Moderna are groundbreaking.
While we continue to read about the uncontrolled proliferation of COVID-19 throughout the countryside, towns, and cities we live in, we can be thankful for something. We have such talented scientists alive and working globally and we can now enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Well over 100 different vaccines are being created to fight off the novel coronavirus and end the pandemic. (Yes, it’s coming!) Some of the front runners being reviewed include COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. Here is a look at what each offers and how they differ from one another.
Pfizer’s Vaccine
Pfizer, which is based in New York City, has partnered with a start-up company called BioNTech, based in Mainz, Germany. Together, they have developed a leading COVID-19 vaccine using mRNA technology. This is the first time in history that this technology has successfully developed a vaccine for use in humans. The new method was pioneered by one of BioNTech’s senior vice presidents, Dr. Katalin Kariko, along with Dr. Drew Weissman, who is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
How does it work? This vaccine uses genetic material (mRNA or messenger ribonucleic acid) to get your body to produce antibodies to fight the novel coronavirus. When the mRNA is injected in you, it causes your body to build a surface protein of the coronavirus.
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It’s a trick, however. Your body then thinks it has been infected with the real virus, and it starts to build antibodies against COVID-19. It’s all a bit of amazing pharmaceutical magic that will likely be used to help humans fight off other illnesses in the future, including some cancers.
We have now not only produced the armour we need to fight against COVID-19, but achieved even more. We are truly living at a landmark time in medical history.
Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine needs to be stored at -94 degrees F (-70 degrees C). Once it’s moved to a refrigerator, it needs to be administered within five days as two shots given 3 weeks apart.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is said to be more than 90% effective. The FDA will be reviewing it on December 10, 2020, and it has already been authorized for use in the UK.
Moderna’s Vaccine
Moderna’s vaccine is also said to be extremely effective, and comes in two shots that you get 28 days apart. This vaccine, officially called mRNA-1273, was found to be about 94.5% effective. This means that being inoculated reduced the risk of someone falling sick with COVID-19 by 94.5% in clinical trials.
Recent reports show that people who got this vaccine had elevated levels of COVID-19 antibodies for about three months following their second shot. Is this bad? While this doesn’t sound long enough to provide enough protection, NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci said it’s fine.
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Fauci feels that even after this time, your immune system will likely remember the virus if you have been vaccinated. In this way, you will produce new antibodies again to ward of COVID-19 if you’re exposed to it.
Moderna’s vaccine also uses mRNA technology, (hence, it’s name), and is going to be reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 17. If approved, it would be rolled out for use in the US soon thereafter.
Moderna is an American pharmaceutical company based in Massachusetts and was founded in 2010.
AstraZeneca’s Vaccine
AstraZeneca is a British pharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. This company’s COVID-19 vaccine has been found to be less effective than those of Pfizer and Moderna, but it still works well. In some trials it was just 62% effective at reducing the risk of someone contracting COVID-19. In others, it was 90% effective.
Why the differences? These discrepancies arose because AstraZeneca’s clinical trials encountered some mistakes. Some participants were accidentally given a half dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose, instead of two full doses. The half dose plus a full dose was found to be more effective, however. In this way, it was a blooper to be thankful for, in the end.
Some have said most people in the world may very well receive this vaccine. This is because it is much cheaper than those of Pfizer and Moderna. Moderna’s vaccine is said to cost between $32 and $37 per dose. Pfizer’s about $20 per dose. While some of these costs may be covered by governments and insurance plans, AstraZeneca’s vaccine will be much cheaper. It will cost about $3 to $4 per dose, in comparison. This has made AstraZeneca’s vaccine more attractive for many countries around the world.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which the company says will be delivered at no profit globally, can be transported and kept at regular fridge temperatures.
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photo credits: Michele Ursi/Shutterstock.com
