There are several vaccines that have been approved from emergency use authorization by the FDA that are widely available in the U.S. and around the world.
The vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE has received full approval by the FDA. This vaccine, which shows to be more than 95 percent effective, may help prevent people 12 years old and older from getting seriously ill and hospitalized. Patients receive two doses of this vaccine 21 days apart.
The vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. has received emergency use authorization by the FDA. This vaccine, which is about 95 percent effective, can reduce infections among asymptomatic individuals and could potentially help prevent the spread of the virus from person to person. The Moderna vaccine is given to patients 18 years old and older in two different doses 28 days apart.
The Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine is the third to receive emergency use authorization by the FDA. This vaccine was found to be 66 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 illness and was also highly effective in preventing hospitalization and death in those who did get sick after exposure to the virus. According to the CDC, women younger than 50 years old should especially be aware of the rare risk of blood clots with low platelets after vaccination. This vaccine is administered to individuals 18 years old and older as a single injection.
For more information on available vaccines, visit CDC.gov.