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Last Friday the CDC released new data showing that, four months after vaccination, the Moderna vaccine is more effective than Pfizer's at preventing hospitalization Covid-19. Moderna was 93% effective at keeping people out the hospital; Pfizer 88%. J&J comes in third at 71%. Example coverage: CNBC article 17 Sep 2021, CNN.com article 17 Sep 2021, NPR article 17 Sep 2021.
This has caused a little amusement in our house as Hawk got the Moderna shots and I got Pfizer. Back in the Spring she took Moderna because it's what was most available when she was eligible for her first shot. When I was eligible a few weeks later, Pfizer and Moderna were equally available. I chose to go to a clinic providing the Pfizer injection because the preliminary numbers on Pfizer were better. A study had just come out showing Pfizer beat Moderna at preventing overall symptoms, 95% to 90%. Months later, with longer term data and with the effects of the new, dominant Delta strain in the mix, the rankings of the top two have reversed.
When I say "a little amusement" I do mean a little. Months ago some people crowed pretty hard about how Pfizer was awesome and Moderna was second class. I didn't. I just picked the one rated better at the time when it was basically a free choice. I didn't go an hour out of my way, wait a week, or otherwise game the system to get it. I drove, like, an extra five minutes to get to a clinic providing Pfizer instead of Moderna— and given I had to drive nearly 3 hours to get a vaccine anytime that month, an extra 5 minutes was nothing!
Part of why I didn't act like a nut about Pfizer is that the differences in efficacy between it and Moderna have never been huge. To put these numbers into context, consider what they'd be if they were suntan lotions. With the previous numbers, Pfizer was SPF 20 and Moderna SPF 10. With the recent long-term figures, Moderna is SPF 15, Pfizer SPF 8, and J&J SPF 4. Would you throw a fit about using SPF 8 vs. 15? The most important thing is to use one vs. not. I.e., get vaccinated. The second most important thing is to continue making sound choices about exposure risk. I.e., wear a mask indoors among strangers and minimize time in crowded indoor settings. Choosing between Pfizer and Moderna based on any of the small differences in results so far is a distant third.
This has caused a little amusement in our house as Hawk got the Moderna shots and I got Pfizer. Back in the Spring she took Moderna because it's what was most available when she was eligible for her first shot. When I was eligible a few weeks later, Pfizer and Moderna were equally available. I chose to go to a clinic providing the Pfizer injection because the preliminary numbers on Pfizer were better. A study had just come out showing Pfizer beat Moderna at preventing overall symptoms, 95% to 90%. Months later, with longer term data and with the effects of the new, dominant Delta strain in the mix, the rankings of the top two have reversed.
When I say "a little amusement" I do mean a little. Months ago some people crowed pretty hard about how Pfizer was awesome and Moderna was second class. I didn't. I just picked the one rated better at the time when it was basically a free choice. I didn't go an hour out of my way, wait a week, or otherwise game the system to get it. I drove, like, an extra five minutes to get to a clinic providing Pfizer instead of Moderna— and given I had to drive nearly 3 hours to get a vaccine anytime that month, an extra 5 minutes was nothing!
Part of why I didn't act like a nut about Pfizer is that the differences in efficacy between it and Moderna have never been huge. To put these numbers into context, consider what they'd be if they were suntan lotions. With the previous numbers, Pfizer was SPF 20 and Moderna SPF 10. With the recent long-term figures, Moderna is SPF 15, Pfizer SPF 8, and J&J SPF 4. Would you throw a fit about using SPF 8 vs. 15? The most important thing is to use one vs. not. I.e., get vaccinated. The second most important thing is to continue making sound choices about exposure risk. I.e., wear a mask indoors among strangers and minimize time in crowded indoor settings. Choosing between Pfizer and Moderna based on any of the small differences in results so far is a distant third.
