Alliance Community Pharmacy now has both the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson COVID-19  Vaccines.  Both are quite effective at preventing COVID-19 infection however, there are a few differences.

Mechanism:

Moderna: The nucleoside-modified mRNA in the Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine is formulated in lipid particles, which enable delivery of the nucleoside‑modified mRNA into host cells to allow expression of the SARS‑CoV‑2 Spike antigen. The vaccine elicits an immune response to the Spike antigen, which protects against COVID‑19.

Johnson and Johnson: Unlike mRNA vaccines, which use messenger RNA to create a protein that prompts an immune response in the body, the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine uses an adenovirus—a type of virus that causes the common cold—that has been made unable to replicate. The adenovirus carries a gene from the coronavirus into human cells, which then produce the coronavirus spike protein, but not the coronavirus itself. This spike protein is what primes the immune system to fight off a subsequent infection by the virus.

Dosing:

Moderna:  2 Doses separated by 28 days.

Johnson and Johnson:  1 Dose

Side effects:

Side effects are similar between the two vaccines.  Pain, tenderness, and swelling at the injection site.  General side effects such as fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, nausea/vomiting, low-grade fever.

More serious side effects are rare and required medical attention.  Get immediate medical attention if you experience difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, rapid heartbeat, overall body rash, dizziness, or severe weakness.

Efficacy:

Based on clinical trials thus far, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine provides anywhere from 66-85% protection, while the Moderna vaccine provides 94% protection against the COVID-19 virus.

Length of immunity:

The overall length of immunity from these vaccines is unknown at this time.

Activity vs. the new COVID variants:

It is not well known how the current vaccines are protecting against the newly identified variants.  Further data is needed to determine the efficacy against the new variants of COVID.

If you would like to receive the COVID-19 Vaccine, please visit the Panhandle Public Health website and fill out the online form if you haven’t already done so.

Currently, the best way to sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine is by visiting the Panhandle Public Health website and filling out their online form.