ABOUT MRNA VACCINES

(Pfizer & Moderna)

• Your body naturally uses mRNA to send instructions when building proteins.

• mRNA technology is new in vaccine production but is already being used in cancer treatment.

• It has been studied for more than ten years.

• The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give instructions to our cells to make a harmless piece that looks like the “spike protein” on the surface of the COVID-19 virus.

• Our immune system sees these fake spike proteins and builds antibodies that recognize them. In the future our immune system will now recognize when the COVID -19 virus enters the body and can fight it.

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Visit this link for more info on mRNA vaccines: Understanding and Explaining mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC

SIDE EFFECT FINDINGS

• Mild to moderate, more common after second dose

• Generally, more frequent and severe in those <55

• Systemic adverse reactions usually occur in 1-2 days and usually last 24 hours

• The most common:

• injection site reactions (84.1%)

• fatigue (62.9%)

• headache (55.1%)  

• muscle pain (38.3%)

• chills (31.9%)

• joint pain (23.6%)

• fever (14.2%)

ABOUT adenovirus vector vaccines

(JOHNSON & JOHNSON)

•  Unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which store the instructions in single-stranded RNA, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses double-stranded DNA.

• The gene for the coronavirus spike protein was added to another virus called Adenovirus 26. Adenoviruses are common viruses that typically cause colds or flu-like symptoms. The Johnson & Johnson team used a modified adenovirus that can enter cells but can’t replicate inside them or cause illness.

• This type of vaccine has been studied for decades.

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Visit this link for more detailed info on the J&J vaccine: How the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine Works - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

SIDE EFFECT FINDINGS

• headache

• fatigue

• body aches

• pain at injection site

• redness

• swelling

• Local Reactions:

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• Systemic reactions: