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Covid-19 Vaccines Update

Pfizer / Biontech

Vaccine Platform:mRNA

Dose:two doses three weeks apart

Country of development:USA

Efficacy to prevent symptomatic illness:95 %

Side effects:11 cases of severe allergy in every million doses

Logistics and storage: minus 70 degrees celcius cold chain

Production:USA and Europe

Pros:Highly efficacous. Now licenced from age 12.

Cons:Expensive, allergy to Poly-ethylene Glycol ( PEG )  within nano-particle

Heart inflammation reported mostly in young males below age 30 approximately 1/30,000 cases


Moderna

Vaccine Platform:mRNA

Dose:two doses four weeks apart

Country of development:USA

Efficacy to prevent symptomatic illness:94 %

Side effects:Minimal

Logistics and storage: Minus 30 degree celcius storage

Production:USA and Europe

Pros:Efficacous

Cons:Expensive

Heart inflammation reported mostly in young males below age 30 approximately 1/15,000 cases



Oxford / Astra Zeneca

Vaccine Platform:DNA recombitant Monkey Adenovirus Vector ECC-201

Dose:Two doses 4-12 weeks apart

Country of development:UK

Efficacy to prevent symptomatic illness:62 %  ( for licenced dose ) 4 weeks apart. 81 % when spaced out to 8-12 weeks.

Side effects:Some neurological side effects which resolved and were equal in incidence to normal population

Logistics and storage: normal fridge

Production:Global including India

Pros:Cost and logistics

Cons: 1/50,000 to 1/100,000 risk of VITT : blood clots with low platelets

 




Johnson & Johnson ( Jansen ) 

Vaccine Platform:DNA recombitant Human Adenovirus Vector 26

Dose:Single Dose

Country of development:USA

Efficacy to prevent symptomatic illness:Overall 66 %

 USA: 72 %

South America: 66 %

South Africa: 57 %

Side effects:mild

Logistics and storage: Normal fridge temperature

Production:USA and Europe

Pros:Single dose

Cons:Relatively low efficacy

 1/100,000 risk of VITT : blood clots with low platelets and of GBS ( Gullian Barre Syndrome)




Sputnik V:

Vaccine Platform:DNA recombitant Human Adenovirus Vectors 26 and  5

Dose:Two doses three weeks apart

Country of development:Russia

Efficacy to prevent symptomatic illness:91.6 % efficacious in Russia

Side effects:mild

Logistics and storage: 

Freeze dried version normal fridge 

Liquid vaccine in freezer

Production:Russia

Pros:Cost and efficacy

Cons:Efficacy data from trials in other parts of world awaited

 


 

Novavax:

Vaccine Platform:Protein Subunit

Dose:Two doses 3 weeks apart

Country of development:USA 

Efficacy to prevent symptomatic illness:Overall 89 %

96 % vs original strain

86 % vs UK variant

60 % vs SA variant

Side effects:mild

Logistics and storage: Normal fridge

Production:Global including Canada and India

Pros:Time tested platform which is same as Shingrix ( Shingles ) and Engerix ( Hepatitis B ) Vaccines

Cons: Will submit papers to FDA end of 2021. Late





Bharat Biotech / Covaxin

Vaccine Platform:Inactivated whole virus

Dose:Two doses two weeks apart

Country of development:India

Efficacy to prevent symptomatic illness:81 % 

Side effects:Minimal

Logistics and storage: Normal fridge

Production:India

Pros:Oldest and safest platform. Now licenced from age 2

Cons:Efficacy not known. This platform typically requires multiple boosters.

 


 

INFORMATION & DISCLAIMER: 

I obtained my primary medical education from India and post graduate MD in Family Medicine from the United Kingdom. After working in the NHS for 15 years, I moved to  Canada five years ago.  As a Family Physician, my specialty is engaging patients, interpreting medical information for them, guiding them through their health journey, promoting wise health choices and encouraging early detection and management of disease. The information on this blog is accurate as per time of publishing and patients should check the main blog for updates. Scientific information and evidence changes dynamically and my opinions would change accordingly. The recommendations on this blog are not prescriptions and any patients considering these should consult with a physician to check if these are applicable to their unique case. Patient confidentiality must be upheld at all times and any patients wishing to discuss specific medical scenarios on social media are requested to do so anonymously in 'third party' sense. 

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