© 2021 UpToDate, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

Characteristics of select COVID-19 vaccines [1]

Efficacy Rate of
Common
Doses and against severe Storage Rare adverse
Name Company/developer Platform side
intended interval symptomatic COVID- requirements effects
effects
COVID-19* 19

BNT162b2 ¶ Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA 2 doses 3 weeks 95% 1 in Ultracold freezer Local Anaphylaxis
apart vaccine (–80 to –60°C) injection (approximately 5
group then freezer (– site per million)
(n≈18,000) 25 to –15°C) for reactions
9 in up to 2 weeks Systemic
placebo cumulative time symptoms
group then refrigerated (fevers,
(n≈18,000) (2 to 8°C) for up chills,
to 5 days fatigue,
myalgias,
headache)

mRNA-1273 ¶ Moderna mRNA 2 doses 4 weeks 94% 0 in Freezer (–25 to Local Anaphylaxis
apart vaccine –15°C) then injection (approximately 2.8
group refrigerated (2 to site per million)
(n≈14,000) 8°C) for up to 30 reactions
30 in days Systemic
placebo symptoms
group (fevers,
(n≈14,000) chills,
fatigue,
myalgias,
headache)

Ad26.COV2.S ¶ Janssen/Johnson & Replication- 1 dose 66% efficacy 85% Refrigerated (2 Local Very rare
Johnson incompetent against efficacy to 8°C) injection thrombotic
adenovirus moderate to against site complications
26 vector severe COVID- severe reactions associated with
19 Δ COVID- Systemic thrombocytopenia:
19 Δ symptoms Cerebral
(fevers, venous sinus
chills, thrombosis (6
fatigue, of ≈
myalgias, 6.8 million)
headache)

ChAdOx1 AstraZeneca/University Replication- 2 doses 70% 0 in Refrigerated (2 Local Very rare

nCoV- of Oxford/Serum incompetent vaccine to 8°C) injection thrombotic
4 to 12 weeks
19/AZD1222 Institute of India chimpanzee group site complications
apart
adenovirus (n≈6000) reactions associated with
(manufacturer
vector 2 in Systemic thrombocytopenia:
recommendation)
placebo symptoms Cerebral
8 to 12 weeks
group (fevers, venous sinus
apart (WHO
(n≈6000) chills, thrombosis
recommendation)
fatigue, (169 of ≈
myalgias, 34 million)
headache)
Splanchnic
vein
thrombosis (54
of ≈ 34 million)

NVX-CoV2373 Novavax Recombinant 2 doses 3 weeks 89% Δ 0 in Refrigerated (2 Local Unknown

protein apart vaccine to 8°C) injection
group; 1 in site
placebo reactions
group Systemic
(n≈15,000 symptoms
total) Δ (fevers,
chills,