Article
Introduction
The arrival of COVID-19 pandemic to Europe and North America by February 2020 has led to two companies, Pfizer and Monderna, to create COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine development process on average takes ten to fifteen years. However, the imminent worries surrounding COVID-19 pandemic putting unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems and economies led Pfizer and Monderna to create vaccines in months. Both the Pfizer and Monderna vaccines are made using mRNA technology and are proved to be effective against infection in vaccinated animals leading both companies to Phase lll trial. With both companies having similarities in production and trials, there are several differences that should be taken into account. Differences include: vaccine efficiency, side effects, ingredients, age requirements, storage and preparation requirements, and amount of doses
Vaccine efficiency
Both Pfizer and Monderna vaccines use mRNA technology. Most vaccines contain an infectious pathogen, but mRNA vaccines work by encoding a part of the spike portion of a virus, SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19. Parts of the encoded pieces deliver the genetic instructions for our cells to make viral or bacterial proteins themselves. The immune system responds and builds up immunity and mRNA and the protein from SARS-CoV-2 become eliminated and the antibodies protect you in the future.
After the second dose of both vaccines, they are both effective. The Pfizer vaccine is 52% effective after the first dose, and about 95% effective after the second dose says William C. Gruber, MD and senior vice president of Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research and Development. However, Moderna’s vaccine is about 94.1% effective in a trial of 30,000 people, according to information reviewed by the FDA. It may be a small difference in efficacy, but it’s not by a lot. Derek Sant’Angelo, PhD, professor and associate director of basic science at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School says, “They both work,”.
Side effects
Every vaccine has minor side effects that can be expected. Possible side effects from Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are: injection site pain, swelling or redness, tiredness, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, nausea, fever, swollen lymph nodes. Similarly possible side effects of the Monderna COVID-19 vaccine are: injection site pain, swelling or redness, tiredness, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, fever, nausea/vomiting. The major difference is that Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research and Development warns that the vaccine could cause a severe allergic reaction which shows up between a few minutes after receiving the vaccine and up to an hour. However, Monderna clinical trials have not reported any severe allergic reaction.
Ingredients
Ingredients in the Pfizer vaccine are mRNA, lipids, potassium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, dibasic sodium phosphate dehydrate and sucrose. While the ingredients in the Monderna vaccine are mRNA, lipids, tromethamine, tromethamine hydrochloride, acetic acid, sodium acetate, and sucrose. The main difference is that Monderna has tromethamine and tromethamine hydrochloride, acetic acid, sodium acetate. While Pfizer has monobasic potassium chloride, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate dehydrate. However, all of these different ingredients in both vaccines help out with stability and to maintain pH. To conclude, both vaccines are very similar.
Age Requirement
The age requirement for Monderna and Pfizer are quite different. For Pfizer vaccine you can receive it if you are 16 years old or older. To be eligible to receive the Moderna vaccine you have to be 18 years and older. Since these vaccines are in the early stages, this age requirement can change in the future. Moderna even has already started testing its vaccine in 12- to 17-year-olds.
Storage and Preparation requirements
Both Pfizer and Monderna vaccines required to be stored in ultracold storage. Pfizer vaccines are shipped and stored in containers with dry ice that maintain a temperature of less than -94 degrees Fahrenheit. Pfizer vaccines must be stored in that temperature and can be placed in a normal refrigerator for up to five days. On the other end, Monderna vaccines are required to be maintained at standard freezer temperatures of -4 degrees Fahrenheit. Monderna Vaccines can stay in a
basic refrigerator for up to 30 days. Preparation requirements for Pfizer are once thawed, the vaccine must be diluted with saline, salt water, before it can be injected. The vaccine must be used between 30 minutes and two hours once it’s thawed to room temperature. For Monderna vaccines come ready to be administered and no dilution required.
Amount of Doses
Both the Pfizer and Monderna vaccines require two shots: a priming dose, followed by a booster shot. There is an interval in between of the priming does: Moderna doses is 28 days and for the Pfizer vaccine, it’s 21 days. Each dose of Pfizer’s contains 30 micrograms of vaccine. However, Moderna contains 100 micrograms, a bigger dose compared to Pfizer. Meaning, Moderna vaccine contains a little more than three times than Pfizer.
Conclusion
To conclude, with both Pfizer and Mpnderna companies having similarities in production and trials, there are differences in vaccine efficiency, side effects, ingredients, age requirements, storage and preparation requirements, and amount of doses. These vaccines are still in the early stages and may later expand to be available to multiple age groups and hopefully worldwide.
Bibliography
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/covid-vaccines-compared
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/comparing-pfizer-moderna-covid-19-vaccines/story?id=74787434