Here’s how the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine compares to that of Pfizer and Moderna

Prevention

• AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in the UK, India and Mexico.

• Unlike its competitors, AstraZeneca’s vaccine is a modified version of a common cold virus that spreads among chimpanzees.
  

• It is the first vaccine of its kind to be approved for human use, but other companies are developing similar technology to fight COVID-19.
  

The UK became the first country to approve AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on December 30, just weeks after vaccine candidates from Pfizer and Moderna were given the go-ahead from Food and Drug Administration of the United States. The approval is another promising sign in the global roll-out of immunization, especially because this option, developed by the University of Oxford and biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, could be critical in reaching populations in rural and sub-urban areas. funded.

Unlike its competitors, the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can be stored at higher temperatures, costs less per dose, and uses different technologies to immunize people. Although the vaccine has not yet been approved for use in the United States, it could reach the United States no earlier than February, The New York Times reports. Here’s what we know about the vaccine so far and how it compares to that of Pfizer and Moderna.

How does the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine work?

AstraZeneca’s vaccine uses adenovirus vector technology. Translation: It’s a modified, harmless version of a cold virus that usually only spreads among chimpanzees. This modified virus can’t make you sick, but it carries a gene for the novel coronavirus spike protein, the part of the virus that triggers an immune response. This allows the immune system to make antibodies that work against COVID-19, teaching your body how to respond to infection.

In other words, AstraZeneca’s vaccine mimics a COVID-19 infection without its potentially fatal side effects, according to a company statement. The reason the researchers chose a chimpanzee adenovirus is simple: the modified virus must be New to vaccinated people – otherwise the body will not create these essential antibodies. Anyone could already have antibodies to cold spread in humans, but far fewer people have been exposed to cold spread in chimpanzees.

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The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, on the other hand, are based on mRNA technology, which essentially introduces a piece of genetic code that prompts the body to produce COVID-19 antibodies, no viruses required. All three vaccines require two injections spaced about a month apart. While no adenovirus vector vaccine has been approved for human use before, companies like Johnson & Johnson, CanSino, and NantKwest are all working on their own versions.

How does the AstraZeneca vaccine compare to Moderna and Pfizer vaccines?

Storage and distribution

AstraZeneca’s vaccine is the easiest to transport so far – it can be stored for up to six months at 36-46 ° F, normal refrigerator temperatures. The Moderna and Pfizer options, on the other hand, should be stored at sub-zero temperatures until ready for use, respectively -4 ° F and -94 ° F. (The technology of the MRNA is relatively fragile compared to adenovirus vector technology, which means it must be stored at much lower temperatures to remain effective and stable.)

AstraZeneca’s higher storage temperature could facilitate distribution. “A clinic, a retirement home or even [regional] Health departments may not have freezers that can hold items at -94 ° F, ”says Kawsar Talaat, MD, infectious disease physician, vaccine researcher and assistant professor in the Department of International Health at Johns University Hopkins. Being able to use a typical refrigerator “allows time for distribution, allows the vaccine to reach more rural areas, [and allows vaccines] be kept in a clinic for a longer period. “

Cost

The new vaccine also beats its competition on price: AstraZeneca’s vaccine costs vendors about $ 4 per dose, while Pfizer’s vaccine costs $ 20 and Moderna’s $ 33, Al Jazeera reports. These prices will most likely fluctuate over time and the evolution of vaccines.

Efficiency

The two mRNA vaccines have a slight advantage in terms of efficacy; Pfizer and Moderna both report to be around 95% effective against COVID-19 after the second shot in clinical trials, while AstraZeneca has reported an average effectiveness of 70% and up to 90% if the dosage is adjusted. (For comparison, the annual flu shot is typically 40 to 60 percent effective, according to the CDC.)

Side effects

The side effects of all three vaccines are similar, including potential pain at the injection site and flu-like symptoms, including fever, fatigue, headache and muscle pain, which are to be expected. when your immune system kicks in.

Which COVID-19 vaccine is the best?

There is no such thing as a “best” vaccine option because there is not enough research yet to confirm it. Vaccines are not a quick fix, especially since the pandemic is raging: they must be combined with masks, hand washing and social distancing to work as effectively as possible, according to the CDC. Whichever COVID-19 vaccine is available to you first, you can be confident in its ability to protect you, as long as you continue to be careful until positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are dramatically reduced. at national scale.

In the meantime, it is likely that “all manufacturers are working to make their vaccines more stable at more manageable temperatures,” says Dr Talaat. As their formulations change, so will their pros and cons.

For now, we can be thankful that AstraZeneca’s vaccine is approaching its global release. “The next generation of vaccines, like AstraZeneca, which is stored at refrigerator temperature, is a major breakthrough,” says Dr Talaat. “When you talk about distribution around the world, it’s a lot easier to do because we already keep vaccines cold. It’s much more difficult to keep things frozen.

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