Most “experts” say: “Whichever is available to you first”
============
The J&J vaccine was approved yesterday and begins distribution this week.
So, if you haven’t already been vaccinated, you might want to know how the vaccines work and how they stack up against one another.
The topline:
The 3 currently relevant brands (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J) are “well tolerated” (i.e. they exhibit few or no side effects) and provide high levels of protection … with near total protection against hospitalization or death.
In clinal trials, Pfizer & Moderna scored higher in overall protection (roughly 95% against symptomatic infections) than the J&J vaccine (72%) in the U.S.
Most experts consider the difference in effectiveness rates to be more a function of when and where the clinical trials were done than the relative effectiveness of the vaccines.
Specifically, the J&J trial was done in a more “hostile” Covid environment: a higher prevalence of Covid and emergence of new Covid strains (especially the South African variant).
======
Regarding the variants…
“Laboratory studies and clinical-trial data suggest that all of the Covid vaccines will provide significant protection (i.e. greater than 50% effectiveness) against emerging strains of the Covid virus.” Source
It’s highly likely that an additional shot — either a booster or a reformulation — will eventually be required for all brands and types of vaccines to combat the variant strains.
======
It’s uncertain how effective the vaccines are preventing asymptomatic infections or how long the vaccines provide immunity against serious symptoms.
But, the consensus seems to be that there is very high protection against asymptomatic infections … and that the immunities last for at least several months, maybe longer.
That said, annual shots seem to be likely.
Again, the most compelling immediate effectiveness result to consider: all brands claim near total protection against hospitalization and death with unlikely side effects.
My take: Call it a push on effectiveness.
Convenience
The J&J vaccine is easier to distribute since it requires less demanding refrigeration.
So, once production is ramped up, it will probably be more ubiquitous in rural areas and in low volume vaccination outlets (e.g. doctor’s offices, urgent care clinics and smaller pharmacies).
As well publicized, Pfizer & Moderna are currently administered in 2 doses with the 2nd dose following 3 or 4 weeks after the 1st.
The J&J vaccine only requires a single dose, making it a good fit for, say, high volume mass vaccination sites and for people who want the convenience of one & done (e.g. workers who are schedule constrained or people with limited access to distribution sites).
The Pfizer & Moderna vaccines are likely to be concentrated in, say, public health department vaccination clinics, targeted to high vulnerability populations.
My take: Beggars can’t be choosers. Practically speaking, you may not have a choice.
=============
That’s probably all that you really need to know, but if you’re interested in the comparative science of the vaccines, keep reading…
The Homa Files 