Ever since “coronavirus” entered into our vocabulary, the world has waited with bated breath for a vaccine. Well, an entire year after COVID-19 made its debut on the world stage, there are now several contenders in the race for a shot that will save millions the pain and suffering of the deadly virus. The two most prominent vaccines come from big drug companies Pfizer and Moderna. So which one is better? It’s the Coke vs. Pepsi debate of our COVID-19 lives. We delved into news reports, statistics, and facts on both to answer that very question. Welcome to Mandatory’s first-ever vaccine battle!
Cover Photo: skaman306 (Getty Images)
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Vaccine
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Trial Sample Size
Pfizer tested its vaccine on 44,000 people. Moderna only tested 30K.
Winner: Pfizer
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Teens and Children
Pfizer is currently testing its vaccine on 400 teens ages 16 and 17 as well as 100 children between the ages of 12 and 15. Moderna has not yet begun testing minors.
Winner: Pfizer
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Efficacy
Pfizer says its vaccine is 95 percent effective, meaning that the majority of people who got the vaccine were protected from COVID-19. Moderna’s effectiveness was close behind, at 94.5.
Winner: Pfizer
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Side Effects
Participants in studies for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines reported side effects such as high fever, body aches, bad headaches, and exhaustion. While these side effects often only lasted for a day, and are far milder than what many experience with a full-blown case of COVID-19, one doctor admitted that the vaccines were “not going to be a walk in the park.”
Winner: Nobody
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Number of Doses
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses at varying intervals. If a recipient experiences side effects after the first dose, it may discourage them from coming back.
Winner: Tie
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Emergency Approval
Pfizer has applied for emergency approval of its vaccine, which means people in high-risk categories, like healthcare workers, could be eligible for it soon. Moderna also plans to apply, but will be a few weeks behind Pfizer.
Winner: Pfizer
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Safety Concerns
Neither the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine have resulted in “serious safety concerns.”
Winner: Tie
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Transmission
Moderna’s chief medical officer Dr. Tal Zaks recently admitted that while his company’s vaccine has been proven effective at preventing people from getting sick, it has not been proven to stop people from getting infected with COVID-19 and transmitting it to others. The same appears to be true of the Pfizer vaccine. In other words: if you get the vaccine, you could still get coronavirus, but you hopefully won’t get ill from it.
Winner: Nobody
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Takeaway
At this point, any vaccine is better than no vaccine in the fight against coronavirus. OK, maybe not any vaccine. It should have science and some hard stats behind it. But between the Pfizer and Moderna version, right now the main difference is only in the brand names. Just tell us where to sign up and we’ll be first in line for either.
Overall Winner: Anyone who manages to get a vaccine as soon as possible
