Which COVID vaccine should you get? What are the differences? The experts weigh.

Almost a year after the COVID-19 pandemic began to disrupt lives in New Jersey, scientists and researchers have achieved the spectacular feat of creating highly effective vaccines that experts say will help put end to the epidemic.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have both been approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration and are the only ones currently in circulation in the U.S. They are both mRNA vaccines and this is how they work.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine meets the emergency use clearance requirement, the FDA said on Wednesday, and full approval could come in a matter of days.

But what are the main differences between vaccines? And which one should you receive? Here’s what you need to know about the different vaccines.

Is there a favorite vaccine?

If you are eligible for a vaccine, do so. It doesn’t matter which one, experts say.

“You know, I literally told anyone who would ask me to take whatever you can get,” David Cennimo, infectious disease specialist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, told NJ Advance Media.

All three vaccines are very effective in preventing COVID-19 from becoming severe or causing symptoms in people, he said.

Scientists are waiting to see more data to see if vaccines are effective in preventing asymptomatic infections, Cennimo said, which is why people vaccinated are still encouraged to wear masks.

There’s no way to choose a specific vaccine in New Jersey anyway. Some vaccination sites have only received one type of vaccine, while others have received both, but few sites let you know in advance what they are offering.

“The effectiveness of the vaccine at present for Pfizer and Moderna is quite similar,” said Stephanie Silvera, epidemiologist and professor at Montclair State.

“And so at this point the goal is to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” she told NJ Advance Media. “There isn’t much of a difference between the two.”

The differences between vaccines

The Pfizer vaccine is an mRNA vaccine that requires two doses given 21 days apart. It should be stored at ultra-cold storage temperatures, but not all vaccination sites have this type of storage.

It is 95% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections. The Pfizer vaccine is currently approved for people 16 years of age and older. Pfizer also announced Thursday that it has started studying a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine as part of a strategy to protect against mutated versions of the coronavirus.

The Moderna vaccine is also an mRNA vaccine that requires two doses, but given 28 days apart. It does not require temperatures as cold as those required for the Pfizer vaccine.

It is 94.1% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections. The Moderna vaccine is currently approved for people 18 years of age and older.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single shot, which does not require ultra-cold storage, making it ideal for easier vaccinations, potentially in doctor’s offices and pharmacies. It can last three months in a refrigerator, according to the Associated Press.

It has been shown to be 72% effective for trial participants in the United States in preventing moderate and severe disease and 66% worldwide. The vaccine was 85% effective specifically against serious illnesses, J&J said.

People may be underestimating the value of the J&J shot, Cennimo said, because it is “one and done.” Although it was less effective against serious illnesses, no one died, Cennimo said. The J&J vaccine could also help vaccinate more people quickly, instead of relying on mass vaccination sites.

“You know, in controlling this pandemic, having people who are neither sick nor seriously ill is a very important criterion,” he said.

Similarities between vaccines

None of the vaccines can give you COVID-19, Cennimo said, or change your genetic material. They have all been very effective in providing solid protection against severe COVID-19, according to the Associated Press.

Experts believe it is essential to get vaccinated, regardless of the specific type.

“Right now, it’s not a vaccine against a vaccine, it’s a vaccine against the virus,” Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press. .

Associated Press and NJ Advance Media editors Karin Price Mueller and Matthew Stanmyre contributed to this report.

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Brianna Kudisch can be contacted at [email protected]. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.