Several biomedical companies are working on vaccines. There are a few completed vaccines and others still in different phases of clinical trials.
The vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE has been approved for emergency use authorization by the FDA, and is being distributed across the U.S. This vaccine, which shows to be more than 95 precent effective, may help prevent people age 16 and older from getting infected. Patients receive two doses of this vaccine 21 days apart.
Another vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. has received emergency use authorization by the FDA, and is being distributed across the country. This vaccine is about 95 percent effective. This vaccine 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 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% 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. It is administered as a single injection.
BayCare has paused administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in light of the April 13 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Drug Administration. Read more.