Which Brand of the COVID Vaccine Is Best for You?

There Are Different Brands of COVID Vaccines. Which One Is the Best One for You?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic attacked the world, people have been living in fear of contracting the virus. There have been guidelines that have been put in place for the public to follow, so as to minimize the spread of this virus. Some of the tips that can help in reducing transmission rate is keeping social distance, which can be done effectively if people practice social distancing. This is one of the measures that have been put in place, and has led to the ban of any social gathering. Churches were closed, schools were closed, and any other events that involved many people gathering in one place was prohibited in different parts of the world. However, things have started easing down, and most of the restrictions have been lifted. Living with COVID-19 has become the new normal and people are coping well with it so far. Research has been conducted and there is a COVID vaccine that has been invented. There are two main brands that have developed the COVID-19 vaccine; namely Pfizer and Moderna. This has even led to more confusion as people do not know which brand is the best for them.

Are the Different Brands of Covid Vaccine Safe and Effective?

One of the questions that many people are asking is whether these different brands have developed a safe and effective vaccine for people. Both of the companies have a similar journey when it comes to the development of the Covid vaccine. These are possibly the first two vaccines that are authorized in the United States. The effectiveness of both vaccines varies since they have a different waiting time after its administration.

How Effective Are the Vaccines?

The effectiveness of these vaccines has been questioned. People want to know if they can trust these vaccines and how effective are they in treating Covid. In the last stage of the vaccine trial, almost 30, 000 volunteers are needed for the effectiveness of the vaccine to be determined. Half of this population will be given the active vaccine whereas the other vaccine will be given the placebo. One similarity between these vaccines is that they both require administration of two doses.

Pfizer vaccine is administered within duration of twenty one days apart, whereas Moderna is given twenty eight days apart. In the first week after the second dose has been administered, participants are monitored to see how they have reacted to the vaccine. In the Moderna trial, almost 200 participants who were in the trial developed symptomatic Covid, only which eleven of whom had gotten the active vaccine. The rate of infection was extremely high for those in the placebo group and it was determined that the vaccine was 94% effective overall.

The Difference Between the Two COVID Vaccines

The “spike protein” is being targeted mostly especially since it is found on the surface of the virus that caused Covid. This gives room for the virus to attach itself to the host cells, in turn infecting them.

The good news is that both of these vaccines work by presenting this spike protein to the immune system. In this case, the spike proteins are not dangerous because the rest of the virus is not present in the body. The body is now aware of the spike proteins in the body and is working towards ensuring that it designs a strong immunity for it to be able to fight the virus. Both the vaccines have been proved to be effective in delivering strands of genetic material, commonly known as mRNA which is responsible for turning the cells in the human body into spike protein factories.

The main reason why mRNA technology was used is that scientists knew that it could be developed very fast. In addition to that, these two vaccines are stored in two different ways. Pfizer vaccine should be kept in extremely cold conditions, preferably at the temperature of dry ice. You can only remove it shortly when you want to use it. The Moderna vaccine on the other hand needs to be frozen if it is not being used anytime soon. It can be put in the refrigerator for up to one month before it is used.

When Will You Be Eligible for the COVID Vaccine?

Many people are very eager to see how the vaccine works and if the vaccines are effective in curing the Covid virus. The virus has been stated to attack the elderly most because they have a weaker immune system which does not fight off diseases easily. Since the vaccines came into existence, the government and relevant authorities have put an order in which people should receive the vaccines. The first group that is being considered in different countries is the elderly. The elderly has a shorter life span as compared to the youth because of their immunity system. Since this virus is attacking the old mostly, they are the first people to be given this vaccine.

The next groups of people who are going to get the vaccine are the healthcare workers. These are the people who face the risk of exposure. They are the people who are in line of duty and engage with different people, both the infected and those who are at the risk of getting an infection. This exposes them very much and when they get the vaccine, they will be able to get back to their duty and take care of sick patients.

The third group to be given the vaccine is the law enforcement then firemen. These are also another group of people who get the vaccine almost at the same time. They are involved in helping maintain the welfare of the community, thereby making them also very important individuals. People who do not fall into the above categories will be last.

Is the Vaccine Being Administered Fast Enough?

There are different rates at which different countries are administering the vaccine. Some people get the vaccine faster than others for various and obvious reasons. The first reason why the vaccine is not being administered fast enough is because of the delays that they are facing in getting the vaccine to the respective people. There are delays in shipment, and changes in weather making it very hard for airplanes to deliver the vaccine to respective countries. The other reason why the vaccine is not being administered fast enough is because some states are holding back more second doses than others.

Why Are Some People Skeptical About Taking the COVID Vaccine?

Many people are very skeptical about taking the Covid vaccine for various reasons. One of the reasons is that many people do not know the kind of reaction that they will get after being given the vaccine. In addition to that, people still have the fear of the vaccine not being safe enough for them to be given. Consequently, there is distrust of the black community with the vaccine since most think that the vaccine is being used on them as an experiment. This is triggered by the racism that has been in the world for the longest time possible. In the past, and even in some countries in the present, the relationship between whites and blacks has not been good, and has led to distrust, and violence among others. Furthermore, the distrust comes in that, at the beginning of the pandemic, black Americans were most likely to be laid off than whites. This was also the time when many people lost their jobs and the blacks had a hard time finding a new source of income. The mistrust comes as a result of lack of trust in the mainstream medicine. This is because of the history of medical racism that has been prolonged in different parts of the world, especially in the United States after the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, a clinical study done from 1932-1972 by the United States Public Health Service. During this time, African-American men who participated in the study were told that they were receiving free health care from the federal government of the United States, but they were not. To make a long story short, about 400 men were tricked into getting syphilis. They were used as guinea pigs for the study of long-term effects of the disease, which is death. After penicillin was discovered to be the cure in 1940, most of these men were not given the treatment even though the consequence was a very painful death.

Is Wearing a Mask, Maintaining a Six Feet Social Distance and Washing Their Hands Effective Enough to Refuse the Vaccine?

Before the existence of the Covid vaccine, there were precautionary measures that were put in place to help in reducing the spread of the virus. Some of the measures that were put in place to help in reducing the spread of the virus included wearing a face mask, washing hands with running water, maintaining a six feet social distance and avoiding touching different surfaces, among others. These measures proved difficult for many people to follow especially since living with Covid was becoming the new normal. When these measures were introduced, social gatherings such as schools, churches and other social functions were banned worldwide. However, after sometime, people got used to this new normal and following all the safety measures became very easy. Washing of hands and maintaining a six feet social distance are still not effective enough to refuse the vaccine. This is because this is a routine that most people are finding hard to cope with. For instance, parents who are working full time prefer leaving their kids in schools or daycare facilities. Some of these children are under age and are still not aware of how to take caution when in public; hence you will find them innocently playing together. Therefore, with the administration of the vaccine, the spread of the virus can be reduced.

Should People Still Wear a Mask After Receiving the Vaccine?

Two people sitting on bench wearing masks and social distancing

Should we wear a mask? This is a question that many people are asking themselves. However, the answer depends on the effectiveness of the vaccine that is administered. People should still wear their masks after they have received the Covid vaccine. This is because the first dose of the vaccine may not be that effective, and this is the reason why a second dose is administered. While you may feel like you are okay after the first dose has been administered, it is important that you still wear your mask until you are given the second dose. It is at this point that you know how you are reacting to the vaccine and if the vaccine is effective too.

Is the Current COVID Vaccine Effective for the New Strain of the Virus Too?

The development of new strains of this virus is not something that is new, because it occurs in all viruses. The development of new strains is something that has been anticipated by the scientists who were developing the Covid vaccine. When these strains disappear, then the viruses are no longer available. The vaccines work well against the strains. This is because the vaccines are still highly effective even if it is showing low results against the new strains. Both vaccines are expected to be more effective than the usual viral vaccine. Since the creation of the Covid vaccine, the battle against the virus has gone up. This is mainly because most people want to have access to the vaccine. According to Doctor Anthony Fauci, the advisor in Biden’s administration, he says that the mutant strains of the virus and the limited distribution of the vaccine continues to pose a risk. He continues to confirm that there is light at the end of the tunnel with the pandemic, but that light is still far away. This means that there may come a time when the virus will no longer be with us, or there are ways that will help in containing the virus, but that is not happening anytime soon. This is because the demand of the Covid vaccine is way more than the supply. Even when we have enough vaccines for everyone, and it has been approved for every age groups, there may be new strains that come one after another.

When Will It End?

People have battled with Covid-19 pandemic for a very long time now. There was no hope of containing this virus, until two companies, Pfizer and Moderna invented the Covid vaccine. There are other companies, such as Johnson and Johnson who has a vaccine that has just been approved by the FDA, but for now, these two are the most popular. However, ensuring that this vaccine reaches a wider population in the world has become a challenge for various reasons. One, delay in shipment, and the weather has made it impossible to get the vaccine to everyone. In addition to that, people also feel different about the Covid vaccine, and many are scared to be in the front line of getting the vaccine. This is because of the fear of the vaccine having negative side effects on them. Therefore, there are still questions regarding the Covid vaccine that the public want to know the answers before they decide to get the vaccine, but from the above discussion, you will be able to decide which vaccine is the best for you. On the other hand, the debate of whether to get the vaccine or wear a mask will most likely last as long as the train of different covid strains of the virus.