Early this year, we released primer on available COVID-19 vaccines. Now, we know more about them. Here’s all the information that you need to help to decide to immediately line up for a vaccine as soon as possible.

Pfizer-BioNTech
Dose: 2 doses
Frequency: 21 days apart
Efficiency: 95% – 100%

Considered to be the first-ever approved vaccine against COVID-19, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has an efficiency rate of 95% – 100% against symptomatic infections according to its Phase III clinical trials. Some of its side effects include but are not limited to anaphylaxis, mild-to-moderate pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, chills, and fever.

This vaccine was produced and formulated by the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer, Inc. and its German partner, BioNTech. It was created using the latest modified RNA (mRNA) technology that BioNTech helped Pfizer refine, the Comirnaty vaccine can induce immunity within a person against COVID-19 without having to use an inactivated version of SARS-CoV-2. Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is being rolled out in 103 countries and territories all over the world.

Moderna
Dose: 2 doses
Frequency: 28 days apart
Efficiency: 94.1%

Using the mRNA technology, Moderna, Inc. alongside the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) was able to develop the Moderna vaccine with its 94.1% efficiency rate. Some of the side effects of this vaccine are pain, swelling, and redness on the injected while the rest of the body might develop fever, headaches, muscle pain, and tiredness.

The Moderna vaccine instructs cells to make protein which creates an immune response towards the virus this was made possible due to the ribonucleic acid or RNA which is a molecule that will offer instructions to the cells to generate protein pieces and once it is placed on the surface of the virus, our immune system will recognize it, initiate an immune response, and create antibodies.

Oxford-AstraZeneca
Dose: 2 doses
Frequency: 4 to 12 weeks apart
Efficiency: 70.4% – 76%

With its non-replicating viral infector, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is one of the widely used vaccines in the world with the WHO relying heavily on it for its COVAX vaccine-sharing facility.

According to the WHO, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 76% effective in preventing symptomatic infection. Currently, AstraZeneca is being credited for helping low- and middle-income countries in their respective vaccination drives due to its inexpensive pricing and uncomplicated logistics process.

This is made possible due to the Vaxzevria/Covishield which is an adenovirus vector vaccine that uses the weakened version of the virus which causes the common cold. This has allowed the vaccine to be stored and transported in normal refrigerator temperatures unlike other vaccines available.

Despite the shot’s wide usage, several countries have either limited or halted altogether its inoculation in younger people due to concerns over reported rare blood clots in the brain by recipients. Given its rarity, experts have deemed the vaccine as still safe overall, as the benefits it induces outweigh the risks.

Sinovac Biotech
Dose: 2 doses
Frequency: 28 days apart
Efficiency: 51% – 91%

Produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech, Ltd., the CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine has an efficiency rate of 50.4% to 91% according to different reports from Brazil and Turkey. Its side effects range from local lymphadenopathy at the injection site, allergic reactions that may be caused by any component of the vaccine, and convulsions with or without fever.

Sinovac used the traditional method of creating vaccines by utilizing an inactivated version of SARS-CoV-2 to induce an immune response in the body. Like the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, CoronaVac can be stored and transported in normal refrigerator temperatures making it one of the most commonly used vaccines around the world.

Sputnik V
Dose: 2 doses
Frequency: 3 weeks apart
Efficiency: 91.6%

Developed by the Russian state-owned Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology, Gamaleya Sputnik V has a 91.6% efficiency rate. Some of the common adverse events reported are hyperthermia, pain in the injection site, and swelling among others.

Sputnik V is also an adenovirus vector vaccine similar to Oxford-AstraZeneca and uses a weakened version of human adenovirus. However, the scientific community remains skeptical about this vaccine. Brazil banned imports of Sputnik V over its poor quality control and the risk of actually causing the common cold in its recipients. Despite these claims, The Lancet medical journal published research indicates that Sputnik V is 91.6% effective in preventing symptomatic infection making it the only vaccine with a peer-reviewed data.

Janssen
Dose: 1 dose
Frequency: n/a
Efficiency: 66% – 85%

Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine was created by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies found in Beerse Belgium. Similar to other vaccines it is a non-replicating viral infector and has a 66% efficiency rate. Despite its seemingly low-efficiency rate in stopping moderate to severe COVID-19 cases, it increased over time to 85% against severe cases. Some of its possible side effects are headache, fever, body aches, nausea, and swelling, while also having a low risk of causing an allergic reaction within one to two days.

Using a replication-incompetent recombinant adenovirus type 26 (Ad26) to create a stabilized spike protein that will replace the amino acids with prolines, Janssen was able to create complete protection against COVID hospitalization and even death.

Covaxin
Dose: 2 doses
Frequency: 28 days apart
Efficiency: 80.6%

This vaccine was created by Bharat Biotech International Limited in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research. Covaxin was created through a whole-virion inactivated Vero cell/polio vaccine which has a dead virus and cannot infect people. It uses a completely ineffective SARS-Cov-2 viral particle with a modified RNA combined with a protein shell.

Covaxin has an 80.6% efficacy rate against PCR-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19. Some of its possible side effects are swelling, itching, weakness, rashes, nausea, and rashes but might also cause severe allergic reaction and difficulty in breathing.