All the differences between COVID-19 vaccines, summarized in a simple table
- COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca all have unique features.
- They vary in effectiveness, side effects, dosage, and ages approved for the shots.
- Here is a table that compares them all. Scroll down to view it.
Coronavirus vaccines are the world's escape route out of a pandemic.
Vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-Oxford University, and Johnson & Johnson have been approved in the UK. In the US, all of them have been authorized except AstraZeneca's.
Each is given as a shot in the muscle of the upper arm.
For the two-dose vaccines - which is all of them except J&J - you should have two shots of the same one, where possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday October 22 that everyone in the US who gets J&J's single-dose vaccine should get a second at least two months after the first.
Some fully vaccinated people vulnerable to COVID-19 are eligible for a third vaccine dose, known as a booster. In the US, this can be any vaccine authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Speak with your doctor if you have a specific medical condition, or take medicines - especially if they thin your blood or affect your immune system. Experts have said the COVID-19 vaccines won't make you infertile. Side effects may start within a day or two and should go away within a few days.
We've made a table that gives you the key information for each shot. Scroll down to view it.