What’s The Difference Between The Moderna And Pfizer Vaccines
While both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been approve for children, there are differences between the two.
There are several key differences between the two vaccines, including potential side effects and proven effectiveness.
Side effectsBetween 21% to 26% of kids age 6 months to 5 years developed a fever after each dose of the Moderna vaccine, more than in adolescents and adults. Fever was less common in the Pfizer trial, reported in only 7% of children ages 6 to 23 months after each shot.
In the Moderna trial, 62% of kids 3 to 5 years old experienced fatigue, compared with just under 45% of children age 2 to 4 years old in Pfizer’s trial.
EffectivenessTwo doses of the Moderna vaccine are 51% effective in preventing infection in children 6 months to 2 years old, the company reported, and 37% in kids 2 through 5. The vaccine’s ability to prevent serious illness or hospitalization is expected to be higher.
Pfizer has reported its three-dose vaccine was 80% in preventing infection, but its research was based on a very small pool of subjects. More data will become available as its vaccine is rolled out widely.
The Covid Vaccination Has Begun All Across India And People Have A Lot Of Questions Like What Not To Do After Taking The Covid Vaccine Read On For More Details
COVID vaccinations for the elderly and at-risk individuals have begun in India across all states. As of now, there is a lot of misinformation surrounding the vaccine and people have been asking a lot of questions on the internet. So, let’s take a look at some of these questions and clear some misunderstandings. We’ll also look at what not to do after taking the COVID vaccine.
Is The Covid Vaccine Safe For Children
The results submitted to the FDA and CDC are still preliminary, both agencies say they are safe and effective.
“There are many processes in place to ensure safety, including oversight from vaccine advisory groups, the FDA, and the vaccine manufacturers,” Dr. Leslie Sude, a pediatrician at the Yale School of Medicine, said in a statement. “We are fortunate to live in a country that has these oversights in place.”
Sude added that children get lower doses of the vaccines than adults but “mount robust antibody responses with no safety concerns.”
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Can I Do Anything Ahead Of Time To Reduce Any Side Effects From The Vaccine
You should wait until after being vaccinated to see how you feel. If you do experience side effects, it is OK to take an over-the-counter drug to lower a fever, reduce chills, or relieve a headache or body aches. Its important that you do not take these drugs before getting your vaccine as there are theoretical concerns that some pain relieving drugs may interfere with the immune response to the vaccine. It is also unclear if taking medication ahead of time actually works to reduce post-vaccine symptoms.
Should I Delay My Covid
There is no need to delay getting vaccinated against COVID-19 until after surgery. Fever is a potential side effect of COVID-19 vaccines, and having a fever after surgery raises concerns about a possible surgical wound infection. For that reason, it is a good idea to allow at least one week between getting vaccinated and having surgery.
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What To Do After Your Covid
Once youve been vaccinated, remain at the vaccination site for 15 minutes. This is to ensure you receive medical attention if you experience an allergic or adverse reaction. Even though these occurrences are rare, this precaution is important for safeguarding your health.
Side effects are common after COVID-19 vaccinations. But you may not have any side effects, but this doesnt mean the vaccine didnt work.
Common side effects that may occur within hours or days of getting the shot include:
- pain, swelling, and redness at the injection site
- fatigue
- muscle pain
- nausea
Vaccine side effects may be more intense for some people after getting the second shot of a two-dose vaccine. Booster shot side effects are similar to those from the two-dose or single-dose primary shot.
To reduce common side effects, try out these tips:
Dont Take Pain Relievers
Experts agree that you should not take over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol or ibuprofen right before you get your COVID shot. These medications could decrease the vaccine’s effectiveness.
Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory drug which thwarts the vaccines effort to train the immune system to react to a virus by increasing inflammation.
When people have side effects after the shot it’s because the immune system is learning to make antibodies specific to the virus or viral features.
You don’t want to slow down or stunt that process by taking something like ibuprofen beforehand, Boling said.
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My Child Has Allergies Can They Get The Vaccine
Yes, though you might be asked to stick around the waiting room so health care providers can monitor them for allergic reactions that can occur after any vaccination.
“If the child has a history of anaphylaxis or other severe allergies, then the observation time after the injection may be 30 minutes instead of 15,” said Dr. Anne Liu, an infectious disease specialist with Stanford Hospital and Clinics and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
Children who have been prescribed an EpiPen for any reason should bring it to their vaccine appointment, Liu added.
As with adults, children with an allergy to an ingredient in Pfizer’s COVID-19 shouldn’t take it. You can find a list of ingredients in Pfizer’s vaccine for kids 5 to 11 on the FDA’s fact sheet.
What Not To Do After Taking The Covid Vaccine
Many people may start to believe that they are completely immune after getting the first dose of the vaccine and go about their business without masks worry-free. However, the two vaccines currently being administered in India have a total of 2 doses. When an individual has finished taking his two doses, and two weeks have passed since their last dose, then a complete immunity against COVID 19 will be developed in their body. Keeping that in mind, here are all the precautions after the COVID vaccine you should be following. All this information is based on the CDC guidelines.
- Don’t think that you are completely immune to COVID after vaccination, as no vaccines have a 100 per cent success rate. If you contract COVID after the vaccinations, you may get mild symptoms. There is also the possibility you may be able to transmit COVID to the people who are unvaccinated.
- Continue to wear a mask in public
- Avoid crowded spaces and stay at least at a distance of six feet from others to keep yourself and people around you safe.
- If you develop COVID symptoms, do not ignore them thinking you are immune, and consult a doctor immediately.
- Lastly, remember that the vaccination takes a while to kick in, and you will develop immunity a couple of weeks after the second dose.
- You may develop fever or headaches as a side effect within the first couple of days after vaccination, so you can take Paracetamol tablets and rest.
- Avoid strenuous physical activity 2-3 days after vaccination.
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Is It Safe To Travel After I Get The Covid
Not quite yet. You should still avoid or delay non-essential trips. But if you must travelincluding if you need to travel for self-care, says Dr. Banerjeeyou should still follow CDC guidelines.
If you are going to travel, definitely wait those full two weeks after your last vaccination. “It’s the same principle as antibiotics,” says Dr. Banerjee. “If your doctor says take it for five days and you take it for three, that’s not complying.”
There’s more to learn. But for now, it’s clear that vaccines offer a lot of hope, and a big stepthough not the final steptoward a return to normalcy, and that’s something to celebrate.
How Can I Help Stop The Spread Of Covid
Even if youve already received your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, you can prevent the spread of the virus to your family and community through the following:Stay at home unless travel is essentialOpen windows and ensure proper ventilation and air circulation at home or your place of workMaintain a balanced and healthy diet, exercise, and avoid smoking and alcoholMonitor your health and call your Barangay Health Emergency Response Team if you have symptoms AND POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS.
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Possible Side Effects After Getting A Covid
CDC has updated its recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines with a preference for people to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine . Read CDCs media statement.
COVID-19 vaccination will help protect people from getting COVID-19. Adults and children may have some side effects from the vaccine, which are normal signs that their body is building protection. These side effects may affect their ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects, and allergic reactions are rare.
Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unlikely following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine monitoring has historically shown that side effects generally happen within six weeks of receiving a vaccine dose. For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration collected data on each of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines for a minimum of two months after the final dose. CDC is continuing to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines even now that the vaccines are in use.
The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks. Rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents and young adults have been reported more often after getting the second dose than after the first dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
Get a COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 years and older as soon as you can.
Tips From Health Experts
Getting vaccinated is a massive moment for you, your family, community and the world.
But it can also be stressful, especially if youve been isolating at home for many months, or are worried about vaccination.
It can be useful to remember that by getting vaccinated you are not only protecting yourself from COVID-19, but also your loved ones around you.
We spoke to Health Experts from UNICEF in South Asia and WHO in South East Asia to get more top tips on what to do before, during and after getting vaccinated for COVID-19 in South Asia.
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Throughout The Rest Of Your Body:
- Tiredness
- Fever
- Nausea
Anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction after getting a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine , should not get another dose of either of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction after receiving Johnson & Johnsons Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, should not receive another dose of that vaccine.
Learn about getting a different type of COVID-19 vaccine after an allergic reaction.
How Long Protection Lasts
We do not yet know how long the protection from COVID-19 vaccines will last. Ongoing research around the world is evaluating:
- how long protection lasts
- whether you will need booster doses, such as an annual booster.
On 12 December 2021, ATAGI recommended the use of a single booster dose for those who have completed their primary COVID-19 vaccine course at least 5 months ago. Learn more about booster doses.
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What To Do Before During And After Getting The Covid
After a long, stressful encounter with the COVID-19 virus, the entire world is finally relieved to get access to the vaccines. Getting a Covid-19 vaccine is essential as it protects one against the COVID-19 virus. The approved vaccines have been carefully evaluated for safety and efficacy. Furthermore, they also make the infection less severe even if you contract the virus after vaccination.
As you get jabbed at your turn, you must know the expected side effects and practice the safety protocols before and after vaccination. We have some crucial tips for you as you await your turn to be vaccinated.
How Long Does Protection From A Covid
Some amount of time between three months and two years, probably, says Dr. Banerjee.
A Moderna vaccine clinical trial, for instance, found that for the majority of people, there was no decline in the antibodies present in the body three months after receiving the second shot. However, people in their 70s did see significant drops in COVID-19 antibodies after three months, suggesting that vaccine duration could change by age. That study had a very small sample size, though, and more research is being done, including on the Pfizer vaccine, which showed a strong antibody response two months later.
“We are headed in the right direction, but keep in mind there are variants, mutations, unknowns,” says Dr. Banerjee. As of now, the vaccines available provide protection against known variants such as the U.K. and South African strains, though they are slightly less effective against the South African strain.
If public health measures and a quick vaccine rollout help keep case numbers down, and variants don’t have a chance to take off, the vaccines could last for a long time, and may not even need a booster, he adds.
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Dont Forget To Take A Backup Photo Of Your Vaccine Card And Dont Miss Your Window To Get Your Card Laminated For Free
The CDC recommends keeping your vaccination card, so why not add one more layer of protection while you have the chance and get the card laminated for free?
Having that thing so its not all tattered or whatnot I would totally get mine laminated, Fuller said. Plus, its a great souvenir.
After you complete your cycle of shots, you can get your vaccine card laminated for free at Staples, Office Depot or OfficeMax. The Office Depot and OfficeMax offer is available through July 25, according to Office Depot, and the Staples offer reportedly ends May 1.
Even if you dont choose to laminate your card, you ought to follow the CDCs recommendation and take a picture as a backup.
Is It Safe To Take A Pain Reliever When Getting A Covid
Do not take a pain reliever or fever-reducing drug before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine because these drugs may impact the immune response to the vaccine. If you experience side effects after getting vaccinated, it is safe to take these drugs as needed to treat pain. Patients routinely taking low-dose aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications may continue to take these medications as instructed.
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Dont Book Other Vaccines Around The Same Time If You Can Help It
The CDC currently does not recommend getting a different vaccine, such as the flu shot, around the same time as you get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Given the lack of data on the safety and efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines administered simultaneously with other vaccines, the vaccine series should be administered alone with a minimum interval of 14 days before or after administration with any other vaccines, the CDC website states.
If you are scheduling appointments for multiple types of vaccines, prioritize the COVID-19 shots first unless the other vaccine is an emergency, Fuller said. I would say if you have an emergency vaccination, like, for example, you step on a nail and youve got to go get your tetanus shot, well, dont wait for that, she said.
If Youve Already Had Covid
A indicates that if you had COVID-19 before and are not vaccinated, your risk of getting reinfected is more than two times higher than for those who were infected and got vaccinated.
While evidence suggests there is some level of immunity for those who previously had COVID, it is not known how long you are protected from getting COVID-19 again. Plus, the level of immunity provided by the vaccines after having COVID-19 is higher than the level of immunity for those who had COVID but were not subsequently vaccinated.
Getting vaccinated provides greater protection to others since the vaccine helps reduce the spread of COVID-19.
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Post A Selfie With Your Vaccine Card
We’re glad you’re proud of your COVID-19 vaccine, but showing off your vaccine card could be an invitation for scammers. Because the record cards have personal information such as your full name, birth date, and the location where you received your vaccine, posting a photo makes you vulnerable to identity theft.
That’s not all: Some experts think scammers may copy COVID-19 vaccine cards to pretend that they’re vaccinated. This trend will only increase as more public places and transportation modes start requiring people to show some sort of proof of vaccination .
Information About What To Do After Each Dose Of The Covid
Like the 1918-20 Spanish flu, the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemichas been more concerning than the first. While people are attempting all possible precautions to combat the infection, The Government of India launched their much-anticipated vaccination drive bringing hope to all. As million take their vaccine doses, rumours around what to do before and after vaccination are also spreading. To help you prepare for your COVID-19 vaccine, here are some comprehensive dos and donts.
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Dont Wear Clothes That Make It Hard To Access Your Upper Arm
If you want to make your vaccination as smooth as possible, think about what youll wear. You typically have a choice of which arm will receive the shot, so make sure that upper arm is easily accessible to your vaccine administrator.
Youve got to think about how youre going to get your arm nicely exposed out there with minimal contact and minimal manipulation, Fuller said, suggesting wearing something like a short-sleeve shirt or a tank top underneath a sweater.