Youth Voice Matters.

Niña Katrina Matammu is a current 2nd Year BS in Medical Laboratory Science Student. She is also one of the junior associate editors of Likha Pahinarya

Several pharmaceuticals and drug makers all across the globe have buoyed up hopes to end the COVID-19 pandemic as various brands of vaccines have been made available to the public. As early as January 2020, the virus spread throughout the globe like wildfire, aided by COVID-19's completion of the pandemic cycle, thus putting pressure on the health sector as to what possible strategies can be done to address the fatal concern.

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Truth be told, the COVID-19 pandemic's arrival in Europe and North America was met by comparable lockdown measures throughout the rest of the Western world, which sought to quell the virus in various ways. For scientists and doctors, it seemed clear that in the post-COVID-19 world, there will be a vaccination program of some kind. The major challenge to getting this done, however, is that the quickest the mumps vaccine has ever been created, the vaccine in 1967, took four years to get to market. Yet, driven by various investments made by industrialized and developed countries, COVID-19 vaccine production has been a real game-changer. 

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With this, several nations, especially the developed ones, started securing their massive vaccine supply. However, vaccine brands have been a “hot issue” among the public, particularly in the Philippines. Back in March 2021, many Filipinos were hesitant to get vaccinated due to some concerns. First, there is an existing vaccine hesitancy brought about by previous issues surrounding vaccinations in the Philippines, while some doubted the “fast-paced” production of such vaccines. Moreover, there has been an undeniable comparison between vaccine brands. True enough, people inoculated with Sinovac have a saying that “the best vaccine is the vaccine that is available,” while Filipinos who got their Pfizer jabs proudly announce it.

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Clearly, there are existing misconceptions concerning the COVID-19 vaccine brands that are available. Yet, experts repetitively explain that all vaccines work against the COVID-19, as opposed to most claims that some are less effective, thus making them doublethink about getting their jabs. As stated by the Centers for Disease Cure and Prevention (CDC), “COVID-19 vaccines are effective at helping protect against severe disease and death from variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 currently circulating, including the Delta variant.”

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With this concern in mind, there is a need to educate the public as to how vaccines truly differ. 

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Pfizer

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved on December 11, 2020. The spike protein of the virus is encoded in the mRNA for the virus, which is then wrapped in a lipid nanoparticle. When the cells are injected, the body's immune system recognizes the virus, prompting the release of the spike protein. It showed almost complete effectiveness in Phase III studies, with 95% efficacy. This vaccine needs storage at temperatures as low as -94 degrees F, which necessitates the use of freezers that are specially constructed for that purpose.

Type: mRNA
Doses: 2, 21 Days Apart
Efficacy: About 95%

Moderna

Following the release of early data on November 16, trials have revealed that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine has a 94.1% effectiveness rate. This was given the go-light by the FDA on December 19, 2020. It is an mRNA vaccine, similar to the Pfizer-BioNTech. The Moderna vaccine has been shown to be stable in storage for a month and can be stored at room temperature for up to six, considering that it has been kept cold at -4 degrees F.

Type: mRNA
Doses: 2, 28 Days Apart
Efficacy: About 95%, 100% at preventing death or hospitalization

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AstraZeneca-University of Oxford

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Preliminary findings of a COVID-19 vaccine study, AZD1222, were released on November 23rd. These studies were performed in the UK and Brazil, and they proved that the treatment had a 90% effectiveness rate. With no instances of serious illness, individuals who receiv ed the vaccination were protected against COVID-19. During the interim analysis, a total of 131 COVID-19-positive patients were found. A half dosage schedule provided 90% effectiveness, which was followed by at least one month apart with a full dose. At 62% effectiveness, another dosage schedule delivered two full doses at least 30 days apart with 62% results. The results of the study indicated average effectiveness of 70 percent. AstraZeneca's vaccine is suitable for storing, transporting, and administering, all of which may be done at room temperature of approximately 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit for current healthcare facilities.

Type: Adenovirus-based
Doses: 2, 28 Days Apart
Efficacy: About 70%

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Johnson & Johnson

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The J&J vaccine, the only vaccine candidate of the three that needs two doses 28 days apart, requires just a single dosage. After it had completed the first phase of its study, which indicated a single dosage of the vaccine produced a significant immunological response, the drug's developers reported interim findings which showed the vaccination was usually well-tolerated. A two-dose regimen was also tested in the ENSEMBLE 2 trial.

Type: Adenovirus-based
Doses: 1
Efficacy: The clinical study in which J&J examined COVID-19 effectiveness showed 66% efficacy in reducing the symptoms of symptomatic COVID-19 infections. In the United States, the figure was 72%. It seems to be completely successful in keeping patients out of the hospital and lowering mortality.

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Sputnik V

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Two weeks after receiving authorization from Russia, the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology (NRCME) announced that the two-dose treatment's effectiveness rate was 92 %. The analysis, conducted after 21 days, was based on a preliminary interim analysis Based on fresh preliminary statistics, the group claims to have 95% effectiveness. The effectiveness rate was about 91.4% on December 14, 2020. While AstraZeneca did not choose to use the human adenoviral vector, the virus offered to provide AstraZeneca one of its two human adenoviral vectors for use in a better-functioning AstraZeneca vaccine.

Type: Adenovirus-based
Doses: 2
Efficacy: 91.4%

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Sinovac

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COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness was discovered to be 50.38% efficacy in late-stage clinical studies on January 13, 2021, when Sinovac Biotech of China announced it. Clinical studies provide a wide range of positive results. On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a local study showed an effectiveness rate of 65%, although only 1,620 people participated in the experiment. In December 2020, Turkey recorded an effectiveness rate of 91.25%. Efficacy rates of 78% in mild cases and 100% in severe and moderate infections were reported. Moreover, inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccines are used.

Type: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus
Doses: 2
Efficacy: 50.38% to 91.25%

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Novavax

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Vaccination effectiveness of 89.3% was achieved by Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine in the Phase III study conducted in the UK on January 28, 2021. This protein-based vaccine has been shown to be effective in increasing immunity. In addition, it includes information from the South Africa Phase IIb study, as well as a number of Phase I, II, and III studies. Clinical effectiveness has been shown against both the UK and South Africa varieties.

The vaccine includes a complete, primary spike protein that was developed utilizing the company's recombinant nanoparticle technology and uses a Matrix-M-based saponin adjuvant. It may be stored and transported in a ready-to-use liquid state at temperatures ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.

Type: Protein-based vaccine
Doses: 2
Efficacy: 90.4%

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Despite their differences in many aspects and some side effects that may occur as a normal thing, there is no doubt that all vaccines are one step forward to achieving the sense of normalcy that we have been dreaming about.