Coronavirus: Information & Resources

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Side-by-Side Comparison: COVID-19 Vaccine

This information has been reviewed and approved by Lindsay Sense, RN, BSN, CMSRN (August 2022).

Side-by-Side Comparison: COVID-19 Vaccine

The CDC has advised that, upon receiving the primary doses of one of the approved vaccines, people should also get a booster shot after a specific interval. This is due to the effectiveness of the vaccines waning over time. People who are at-risk for severe infection, such as the immunocompromised, are especially encouraged to get an additional shot. You can read more about booster recommendation details here.

All of these COVID-19 vaccines will protect you, but here’s a side-by-side comparison. Remember to talk with your doctor if you have concerns about getting the vaccine.

	Pfizer	Moderna	Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)	Novavax
Number of doses	2, 21 days apart	2, 28 days apart	1	2, 21 days apart
Approved for what ages?	6 months+	6 months+	18 years+	18 years+
Effectiveness against death	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Effective against current variants	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Effectiveness against disease in U.S. clinical trials	95% 86% in 65 and older	94.1% 86% in 65 and older	72% 86% against severe disease	90.4% 78.6% in 65+
Emergency Use Authorization	Dec. 11, 2020	Dec. 18, 2020	Feb. 27, 2021*	July 12, 2022
Type of Vaccine	mRNA	mRNA	Vector (modified common cold virus)	Recombinant protein/adjuvants
Most common side effects	Fatigue, headache, chills, muscle pain	Fatigue, headache, chills, muscle pain	Fatigue, headache, chills, muscle pain	Fatigue, headache, chills, muscle pain
Testing for children?	Approved for ages 6 months+	Approved for ages 6 months+	TBD	TBD
Who should not get the vaccine?	History of allergic reaction to polyethylene glycol, polysorbate or other vaccine ingredients Allergic reaction to first dose	History of allergic reaction to polyethylene glycol, polysorbate or other vaccine ingredients Allergic reaction to first dose	History of severe reaction to vaccine ingredients, risk of rare blood clot in women under age 50	N/A

Disclaimer: A direct comparison of effectiveness between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines vs. the other vaccines
can’t be made, as COVID-19 was not as prevalent in the mRNA trials, and the variants had not developed. * EUA was paused April 13, 2021 and amended April 23, 2021 to include risk of rare blood clot in women under age 50.
+EUA was approved for ages 18 years and older on July 12, 2022, and on August 22, 2022, for ages 12-17.

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The information on our website is medically reviewed and accurate at the time of publication. Due to the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, information may have since changed. CDC.gov and your state’s health department may offer additional guidance.