Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines, similarities and differences
All you need to know about Pfizer and Moderna's Covid vaccines
There are two different vaccines against Covid-19 approved in Italy.
The first, whose administration has already begun, is that of Pfizer-Biontech, the second is that of Moderna,approved on January 6 by the EMA and authorized by AIFA for marketing in our country on January 7.
Pfizer's vaccine should be stored at minus 80 degrees, but can be administered from the age of 16 and guarantees immunity one week after the second dose. Moderna's is already diluted and ready to be injected, it can be stored more easily and immunizes two weeks after the second administration.
Here are the similarities and differences between the two drugs in detail.
PFIZER'S TECHNOLOGY IS MODERN
Let's start from the beginning. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Comirnaty) , developed by Pfizer-Biontech, and the mRNA-1273 vaccine, developed by Moderna, are based on innovative mRna technology.
The vaccines contain "a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) with instructions for making a protein found on SARSCoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19."
"STACKABLE" EFFICACY AND SECURITY
On the efficacy and safety side, the two drugs achieved very similar results in the phase 3 clinical trial. Pfizer-Biontech's vaccine is 95% effective, Moderna's 94.5%,
"The safety and efficacy profile of the Moderna vaccine appears substantially overlapping", explains Aifa.
THE STORAGE TEMPERATURE
Despite similar technology, the big difference between the two vaccines lies in how they are stored. Moderna's vaccine “is stored at temperatures between -15 ° and -25 °, but is stable between + 2 ° and + 8 ° for 30 days if unopened,” writes Aifa . The one developed by Pfizer-Biontech needs to be stored “in the freezer at a temperature between 90 ° C and 60 ° C”.
DOSE AND DILUTION
Always looking at the logistical and organizational differences, Moderna's multidose vial “contains 6.3 ml and does not require dilution, so it is ready for use”.
For Pfizer's, explains a pdf shared by AIFA , “after dilution, the vial contains 2.25 ml”.
ADMINISTRATION
Differences between the two vaccines also on the administration front: "The Moderna vaccine is indicated from 18 years of age, rather than 16 years", like Cominarty. And again, explains Aifa: “The vaccination schedule provides for two administrations at a distance of 28 days, instead of at least 21 days (like Pfizer's, ed ).
IMMUNITY WITH PFIZER AND MODERN VACCINES
Different timing also on the immunity front. With Moderna “it is considered fully acquired from 2 weeks after the second administration, instead of one”.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/vaccini-anti-covid-di-pfizer-e-moderna-analogie-e-differenze/ on Mon, 11 Jan 2021 11:58:42 +0000.