Johnson and Johnson vaccine vs Moderna vaccine: Comparing side effects and efficacy rate

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it had issued approval for Johnson and Johnson vaccine for COVID-19. Moderna vaccine has also stepped into the forefront today. Both these vaccines have proved to be safe and effective and are soon going to roll out in the United States soon. Here's a brief comparison between Johnson and Johnson vaccine vs Moderna vaccine.

Johnson and Johnson vaccine vs Moderna vaccine

Johnson and Johnson Vaccine

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine had been granted a EUA on February 27, 2021. According to VCUHealth, unlike the other two vaccines, the J&J vaccine only requires one dose and has proven to be effective till now as no clinical trial participants have reported extreme Johnson and Johnson vaccine side effects that need hospitalisation. Having said that, the clinical trial data has revealed that trivial side effects like fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and pain at the injected area are a possibility. 

As of now, the J&J vaccine, like the other two vaccines, have not been tested on pregnant women or children yet but the company has revealed to be doing that soon. People believe that the adoption of this vaccine may accelerate the speed at which the vaccination drive is going as it only requires one dose. However, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine efficacy rate is relatively lower than Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, with a 72% protective rate in the US whereas only 57% in South Africa according to StatNews.

Moderna Vaccine

Moderna was one of the first vaccines to be approved by the FDA on December 18, 2020. Moderna requires two doses of vaccines taken between an interval of four weeks, which is then followed up by a booster shot. Each dose of Moderna contains 100 micrograms of vaccine and has shown an astonishing efficacy rate. As per StatNews, the Moderna vaccine efficacy rate is 94.1% after the second dose but has appeared to be slightly lower for senior citizens.

Typically, vaccines have different effects across different ethnic and racial groups. Fortunately, the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee revealed that Moderna proved to be equally effective regardless. Moderna vaccine side effects are the same as the other two vaccines, which includes injection site pain, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue or chills and in some cases, fever. Recent studies have pointed out that Moderna vaccine side effects are more prevalent after the second dose compared to Pfizer/BioNTech. The Moderna vaccine is yet to be tested on pregnant women but the company has begun clinical trials in children identifying under the age of 16.

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