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As New Jerseyans search near and far for a coveted COVID-19 vaccine, some wonder if they can choose between the Moderna or Pfizer dose, the two types of vaccines currently available.
The short answer is no.
“Currently, there is no way for a person to choose which vaccine they will receive,” said Donna Leusner, director of communications at the State Department of Health. “The state does not recommend one vaccine over another.”
There are over 200 sites offering the vaccine in New Jersey. Some are run by the state, county or municipality, some are run by hospitals, pharmacies or medical groups. Most vaccination sites offer one type or another. But the good news is that studies show that there doesn’t seem to be a tangible difference between Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, both of which have reported 94-95% overall efficacy.
However, some sites tell you which vaccine you are going to receive, giving you the option of opting out if, for some reason, you do not want that particular vaccine. But, with demand far greater than supply and nominations scarce or even nonexistent, this may not be an option many want to take and experts say there is no reason to choose. anyway.
Stephanie Silvera, epidemiologist and professor at Montclair State, agreed that the two vaccines are equally effective and residents should not prefer one over the other.
“The effectiveness of the vaccine at present for Pfizer and Moderna is quite similar,” said Silvera. “And so at this point the goal is to get as many people vaccinated as possible. There isn’t much of a difference between the two.
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two injections: a priming dose, followed by a booster injection. The interval between doses of Moderna is 28 days; for the Pfizer vaccine, it is 21 days.
It is too early to tell if people will have more choices as more vaccines become available in the coming weeks. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine could receive emergency use authorization from the United States Food and Drug Administration in late February. The advantage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that it only requires a single dose and does not meet the cold storage requirements for Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. However, its rate of effectiveness is lower, with 72% protection against moderate to severe COVID in the United States and 85% against serious illness.
Vaccine deployment continues to lag in New Jersey and across the country as demand far exceeds supply. But Johnson & Johnson hopes to deliver 100 million doses to the United States by April, he told CNBC last month.
“Until we know the recommendations for using the J&J vaccine, we don’t know how it will change things,” Leusner said. “We know that once it becomes available, we will have more vaccines to administer.”
Silvera added that if the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were approved later this month, she would advise the elderly or those at high risk to seek out Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, if possible.
“My recommendation would be that for people who are in those higher risk categories, if it is possible to get Moderna and Pfizer, which have higher efficacy against serious illnesses, that would be ideal,” said Silvera. . “And for people who are less likely or who don’t fit into those higher risk categories for hospitalization, death or serious illness, the Johnson & Johnson will likely be enough.”
But Silvera made one final point: any vaccine is better than no vaccine.
“At this point, if you’re lucky enough to get an appointment, you should make it,” she says.
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Matthew Stanmyre can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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