By Ryan Abbasi
- In the USA, 3 vaccines have been authorized for emergency distribution by the FDA: the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson Vaccines.
- The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has an efficacy rate of 95%, meaning that about 95% of people who get the vaccine are protected from developing symptoms of the COVID-19 virus (Mayo Clinic).
- The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has an efficacy rate of 94.1% (Mayo Clinic).
- The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be taken by people age 16 and older and the Moderna vaccine can be administered to people age 18 and older.
- The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines both require two doses. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one dose.
- COVID-19 vaccination works by teaching your immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19, protecting you from getting sick (CDC).
- You should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19 (CDC).
- Johnson & Johnson reported on January 29, 2021 that its vaccine is 66% effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 cases, while Moderna and Pfizer have both reported efficacy rates of about 95%.
- According to the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was studied to be 85 percent effective in preventing severe COVID-19 and 100 percent effective at preventing hospitalization or death starting 28 days after the single-dose vaccination.
- For more information about the COVID-19 Vaccines, or to find out if you are eligible, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html