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Pfizer or Moderna Booster – Which is better? – Side Effects & Expert’s Opinion

Pfizer or Moderna Booster – Since the first launch of the vaccine for COVID-19, a lot of people have been confused about which vaccine to select. The federal government of the United States gives you the option to select your vaccine on your own. 

Previously, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention recommended three different vaccines for COVID-19, including Johnson and Johnson.

But, due to severe side effects of blood clotting after getting vaccinated with Johnson and Johnson, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention have stopped recommending that vaccine.

At the same time, The United States Food and Drug Administration has also limited the use of vaccines made by Johnson and Johnson. Even though it is available in the United States, it is only available for a few handfuls of people.

Now, the fight is between Pfizer and Moderna. As per the latest data points released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 67% of the total population in the United States have already received the primary dose of the COVID vaccine.

At the same time, 31% of people have already received the booster dose. Now, a huge number of people are getting confused with Pfizer or Moderna booster. 

The hoax of Pfizer or Moderna booster

Now you might be wondering why people started talking about Pfizer or Moderna booster? Working behind the sudden Hoax of getting the best vaccine booster. 

First of all, The federal government of the United States, after consulting with health authorities, has launched the mix and match policy. As per the mix and match policy, You can switch the vaccine. 

For example, you received the primary dose of the Moderna vaccine, and now you are eligible to receive the booster dose. If you want to, you can receive the booster dose of Moderna, or you can switch it with Pfizer. 

Initially, the scheme was launched after the COVID vaccine launched by Johnson and Johnson got limited in the United States. Now a lot of people are seeing it as an opportunity to switch the vaccine and maximize the benefits.

Secondly, a lot of people are now getting doubts about the effectiveness of the vaccine they have received. As per the latest data points released by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, a lot of people are getting infected with COVID-19 even after receiving the vaccine for the same.

The whole situation of getting infected with the virus even after receiving the vaccine is creating doubt. People who have already received the primary dose of the Pfizer vaccine are looking to get the booster dose of Moderna and vice versa.

Lastly, the market of rumors is not stopping, and the wrong information available on social media regarding the vaccine for COVID-19 is creating chaos. A few days ago, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States released a few 1000 pages of Pfizer documents.

Now, people are creating fake posts on those documents and circulating them on social media platforms. The whole situation is confusing everyone, and people are looking to switch their vaccines.

Pfizer or Moderna booster
Pfizer or Moderna booster

Previous trend of vaccine boosters

Before we talk about anything like the effectiveness or side effects of both vaccines, Let’s take a quick look at the previous trend of vaccine boosters. The previous trend will tell you how the people are behaving throughout the nation. 

There is no doubt that the Pfizer vaccine is the favorite COVID vaccine of Americans. Till now, More than 126 million people have already received the primary series of Pfizer vaccines.

At the same time, only 76 million people in the United States have received the primary series of modern vaccines. Johnson and Johnson and other vaccines are standing at just 17 million people as it has been already limited by the Food and Drug Administration.

As for the previous data points, more than 93% of people stick to their original vaccine manufacturer when it comes to Pfizer, and 91.8% of people when it comes to Moderna.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the Food and Drug Administration of the United States, have already limited the use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, People who received the initial dose of Johnson and Johnson were more likely to switch to Moderna when it comes to booster dose rather than going with Pfizer.

There is no doubt that people are sticking with their original vaccine manufacturer, but it does not conclude which vaccine is better.

Effectiveness of Pfizer or Moderna booster

If you want to compare both vaccines, then you have to look at the effectiveness of these vaccines. Every health expert will look at different things before declaring any vaccine the best vaccine.

As per the data points, the Moderna COVID vaccine is more powerful than Pfizer, even though the margin is very small. In studies, it has already been proven that the Motorola vaccine was far better than keeping older people out of the hospital during infection time.

Even in a federally funded mix and match COVID-19 vaccine trial, the Moderna vaccine was proved to be the best compared to Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

In terms of effectiveness, the Pfizer vaccine is lagging as compared to the Moderna vaccine. If you are just looking for effectiveness, then you can go with the Moderna vaccine when it comes to a booster dose.

Side effects of Pfizer or Moderna booster

Now, let’s take a look at the side effects of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. After effectiveness, most health experts look at the side effects of any vaccine.

In several reports and studies, it has already been proven that the Moderna vaccine is known to be more powerful and intense when it comes to side effects.

Several people have complained about having severe side effects after switching to the Moderna vaccine from Pfizer. The most common side effects of getting the booster sort of Moderna vaccine are the pain at the injection site, headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue.

At the same time, the Moderna vaccine is known to have more severe side effects as compared to Pfizer. But, people who stick to their original brands do not get any side effects of getting the booster shot.

Both vaccines are known to be safe when compared with Johnson and Johnson. We have not seen major cases of severe side effects after taking either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. 

Experts view on Pfizer or Moderna booster.

Before we wrap this session, let’s take a look at the expert’s view on Pfizer or Moderna booster. Doctor Anthony, a top infectious diseases expert, believes that right now, don’t make it complicated. 

Even though with time, we will see who the winner is but right now, we should not be thinking about that. Add initial studies, we can see slight differences between the two vaccines, but in the long run, the results can be different.

You cannot make a smart judgment by looking at the data right now. At this stage, the data on long-term effects is very limited on both vaccines.

If you want to go with the safe side, then you can go with Pfizer, as it has been approved for everyone above the age of 5. 

In a recent statement, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States announced that they are authorizing Pfizer boosters for children between the ages of 5 to 11.

It means that every citizen of the United States above the age of 5 is eligible to receive the one booster shot of the Pfizer COVID vaccine. It is a no-brainer that Pfizer is one of the safest vaccines available in the world. You can always go on the safe side, and you will never be wrong.

Takeaways

Due to several reasons, a lot of people are getting confused about one which booster shot they should select. Both manufacturers provide the best vaccine for Americans, but it is a matter of health, and everyone wants to select the best for themselves.

The Food and Drug Administration of the United States recently released 55,000 pages of Pfizer documents which united the rumors market on social media. Now people do not want to get vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine as it might cause them long-term side effects, which is completely untrue.

At the same time, the fresh cases of COVID-19, including people who have already received the primary dose and booster shots, are also confusing the choice of booster shots.

After taking a look at the effectiveness and side effects of both vaccines, you can conclude that Pfizer is lagging in both of these things. If the Moderna vaccine is edging out when it comes to effectiveness, then it is also ahead when it comes to side effects.

As a safer choice, you can always go with Pfizer, but if you are looking for effectiveness in your booster dose, then you should go with the Moderna vaccine. 

What is the mix and match policy for the COVID vaccine in the United States?

As per the latest mix and match policy of the COVID vaccine, you can switch your vaccine manufacturer for the booster dose. The policy came after the United States Food and Drug administration posed the recommendation of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.