Approved COVID-19 Vaccines.
Vaccine Types
Currently, there are three main types of COVID-19 vaccines that are or soon will be undergoing large-scale (Phase 3) clinical trials in the U.S. None of these vaccines can give you COVID-19:
* mRNA
* Protein subunit
* Vector
Authorized and Recommended Vaccines.
As COVID-19 vaccines are authorized and then recommended in the U.S., it will be important to understand what is known about each vaccine. Currently, two vaccines are authorized and recommended to prevent COVID-19:
* Pfizer-BioNTech
* Moderna
Both vaccines are mRNA based have about 95 percent efficacy and the second dose is administered roughly a month after the first dose. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine does require special medical-grade freezers for storage and is available to people ages 16 and up. The Moderna vaccine does not have the special freezing requirement and is available to people ages 18 and up.
Vaccines in Phase 3 Clinical Trials
As of Dec. 28, 2020, large-scale (Phase 3) clinical trials are in progress or being planned for three COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S.:
* AstraZeneca
* Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
* Novavax
Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. Both have been shown to be safe and effective as determined by data from the manufacturers and findings from large clinical trials. The
data demonstrates that the known and potential benefits of these vaccines outweigh the known and potential harms of becoming infected with COVID-19.