What are the Different Types of Vaccines?

If you have had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (such as polyethylene glycol), you should not get this vaccine. If you had a severe allergic reaction after getting a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, you should not get another dose of an mRNA vaccine.

Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is the only COVID-19 vaccine available to children ages 5 through 17 years old. For adults ages 18 years and older, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) are preferred over Johnson & Johnsons Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine. All COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized and recommended for use in the U.S. are safe and effective. However, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are preferred based on an updated risk-benefit analysis.

Side effects from both the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are more common after the second dose. This is because your immune system recognizes the virus spike protein from the first dose of the vaccine and mounts a stronger response.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.
CDC recommends you get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

Some people may be at risk for an adverse reaction because of an allergy to one of the vaccine components or a medical condition. This is referred to as a medical exemption. Some people may decline vaccination because of a sincerely held religious belief. This is referred to as a religious exemption.

The most important ingredient in both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is mRNA. The mRNA tells your cells how to make a protein from the coronavirus. Once your body knows how to make the protein, it can recognize COVID-19 and fight it. Learn more about how mRNA vaccines work.

CDC does not recommend mixing products for a two-dose primary series or additional primary doses. For a booster dose, adults ages 18 years and older may choose which vaccine product they get. CDC recommends either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) in most circumstances.

In the case of Moderna, the booster dose is only half of the original dose. Unlike boosters, third/additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines are for people who received the complete starter series of vaccines but then their immune systems didn’t have a good enough response.

This is normal and expected, but it doesn’t happen to everyone. Even if you feel worse after the second shot, the side effects should still resolve within a few days.

If you experienced side effects when you were vaccinated initially, you may wonder if you’ll have any noticeable symptoms in response to your booster shot. While you may have some side effects, they should be no worse than what you experienced originally and may well be milder.

Data released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) show that COVID-19 protection from the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was demonstrated in the clinical trials at about 14 days after the first shot. The FDA said some level of immunity may start sooner, but how much is not certain.

But you don’t actually get sick because your body is only exposed to a small portion of the virus and not the intact virus that can cause the disease. The antibodies against the spike protein remain in your body and are available and ready to protect you if you’re exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unusual following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination.

The Obesity Society strongly recommends that people with obesity get a COVID-19 vaccine. There is clear evidence that the effectiveness of the approved vaccines is similar in patients with or without obesity. All three FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines are equally effective.

Some people may be at higher risk of severe illness. This includes older adults (65 years and older) and people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions. By using strategies that help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, you will help protect all employees, including those at higher risk.

No latex. The vial stoppers used to hold the vaccine also do not contain latex.

These cases typically occur in male adolescents and young adults after the second dose, and within a week of vaccination. It is important to seek medical care if symptomatic (chest pain, shortness of breath, having a fast beating, fluttering, or pounding heart).

If you got J & J as your initial vaccine and are 18 or older, you are eligible for a booster shot two months later, regardless of which one you choose (you’re eligible six months later if you had Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech as your primary series).

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The FDA has authorized three vaccine boosters Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson and determined that it is safe for individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster or additional dose that is a different brand than the initial dose or doses.

How will I know when it’s time for my second COVID-19 vaccine shot? The ideal time frame between the first and second Pfizer vaccines is 21 days. For the Moderna vaccines, it’s 28 days.

COVID-19 can cause symptoms that are mild at first, but then become more intense over five to seven days, with worsening cough and shortness of breath.