As your immunity wanes from previous infection and vaccination, the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to get the new COVID vaccine. There are three currently available — is one better than the others?
The main purpose of the vaccines is not to prevent infection, but rather to protect you after an infection so you don’t get so sick that you need to be hospitalized or worse, die from the illness.
The FDA recently approved the updated mRNA Pfizer and Moderna boosters, as well as the updated Novavax COVID vaccine, to better target the current circulating variants in the community. The Novavax vaccine is the newest vaccine available but works differently from the mRNA vaccines.
Here is a summary of the similarities and differences to help you decide which COVID vaccine is better for you.
What COVID vaccines are available in the US?
There are three COVID vaccines available in the United States:
- 2024–2025 Moderna vaccine
- 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
- 2024–2025 Novavax vaccine
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine (Janssen) is no longer available as the government stock expired on May 7, 2023.
How do mRNA COVID vaccines work?
In general, vaccines work by stimulating the body’s natural immune response so the body can better fight off an infection should it be exposed later.
The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines do this by causing the body to create a piece of a protein similar to one found in the coronavirus. (The protein that the body creates in response to the mRNA vaccine is harmless.) The presence of the protein triggers an immune response, where the body produces antibodies against COVID-19.
The vaccines do not change or influence your genetic material, and after the protein piece is made, the body breaks down the contents of the vaccine, which leave the body as waste.
How does Novavax COVID vaccine work?
Whereas the mRNA vaccines give instructions to our cells to create the coronavirus protein, the Novavax vaccine already contains a specially formulated,…
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