Comprehensive Information Regarding the Moderna Vaccine

A new COVID-19 vaccine was approved on January 31, 2022, for use in healthy adults 18 and older. And here’s comprehensive information regarding the Moderna vaccine. This vaccine, currently available for use, is also known by its brand name, Spikevax.

After Pfizer-vaccine, BioNTech’s Moderna’s was the second option for Americans looking to protect themselves from the coronavirus pandemic. The CDC advises anybody concerned about contracting COVID-19 to get the Moderna vaccine.

More than 244 million doses have been given out in the United States alone. Information for parents regarding the Moderna vaccination.

Difference Between This and the Vaccine Produced by Pfizer

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both made using mRNA technology. An mRNA vaccine teaches our cells how to produce their own immune response, as opposed to other vaccinations that trigger an immune response by injecting a weakened or inactivated germ into the body.

It accomplishes this by encoding a segment of the spike protein that coats COVID-19 viruses. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, with the first administered three weeks after the first and the second given a month (28 days) afterwards.

People aged 18 and up can now get a third booster dosage of the vaccine from either Pfizer or Moderna, as the FDA has approved this. Children aged 5-17 who were given the primary series of the Pfizer vaccination are also encouraged to have the Pfizer-BioNTech booster. Children who were given the Moderna primary series are not currently suggested to use boosters.

The CDC advises that all eligible adults and children have a booster dose five months following their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccination shot or two months after receiving a single Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine shot. The FDA-approved dosage of Moderna boosters is half the recommended adult dose.

The CDC says that if you need a COVID-19 booster shot, you can safely get a different brand of FDA-authorized vaccine than the one you got the first time around. To clarify, this implies that you can obtain a Moderna booster if you’ve already had the Pfizer or J&J vaccine or a Pfizer booster if you’ve already had the Moderna or J&J vaccine. Alternatives to the J&J booster injection include the Moderna and Pfizer shots. Discuss the pros and cons of “mixing and matching” immunizations with your physician.

Both the Pfizer mRNA vaccine and the Moderna mRNA vaccine were shown to be highly effective in early clinical trials against COVID-19, with 95% protection from Pfizer and 94.1% protection from Moderna, respectively.

Updated CDC research reveals that the Moderna vaccination may offer longer-lasting protection against COVID-19.

Compared to the Pfizer vaccine, which is shown to be 77% effective after 120 days, Moderna’s vaccine maintains 92% effectiveness. Neither vaccine was fully effective in protecting against the Delta form that became the norm by late 2021.

However, according to Mayo Clinic research, Moderna’s vaccine may offer marginally more safety than Pfizer’s. How well the vaccinations made by Moderna and Pfizer protect against the Omicron version is still being studied.

Concerning My Youngsters, What Shall I Do?

Anyone above the age of 6 months can now receive the Moderna vaccination. People older than 6 months can also receive the Pfizer vaccination.

Extensive clinical trials were conducted to determine the appropriate dosing schedule for the COVID-19 vaccination in children, with younger children receiving lower doses than adults. Vaccines can be different from one another.

Do I Need to Wait to Get the Moderna Vaccine if I’m Pregnant or Breastfeeding?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) both advise pregnant women to acquire the COVID-19 vaccine.

Neither the Moderna vaccination nor any other COVID-19 vaccine were tested on pregnant women during their first clinical trials. Clinical trials of the vaccination in pregnant women are now being conducted by Moderna.

However, a pilot study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Moderna vaccine is safe for pregnant women to receive. The results were based on information from 35,691 pregnant women who had received an mRNA vaccine from the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the CDC’s V-safe smartphone-based surveillance system.

ACOG has issued a practice advice recommending that all breastfeeding mothers also get the COVID-19 vaccination. Researchers have found that breast milk from mothers who have received an mRNA vaccine, such as Moderna’s, may offer further protection against COVID-19.

What to Anticipate After Vaccination

Side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna are documented as follows in a document submitted to the FDA.

  • Chills
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Tiredness
  • Joint pain
  • Injection site pain, swelling, or redness
  • Muscle pain

So, What Does This Mean For You?

The Moderna vaccine, which has been demonstrated to effectively protect against COVID-19, especially severe sickness and mortality, is available to anybody older than 6 months. Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should have the vaccine, and adults aged 18 and up can get booster shots. Other COVID-19 precautions, like wearing a face mask in public buildings and maintaining personal space, should still be observed. If you must get together with others, do so in the open air.

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