EXPLAINER: The different Covid-19 vaccines and their side effects

South Africans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines, which are set to land soon.

Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize announced on Wednesday that the first one million doses would arrive on Monday, 1 February.

Currently, only the AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use in the country to prevent Covid-19 infections.

Here are some of the different Covid-19 vaccine options that South Africa will be considering:

AstraZeneca vaccine

• Trade name: SII product called Covishield
• Technology: Viral Vector (Genetically Modified Version)
• Efficacy: 62%-90% (different trials)
• Number of doses required: 2
• Dose interval: 4-12 weeks (12 weeks recommended by the MAC) administered in the deltoid muscle with needle/syringe
• Fully liquid vaccine
• Storage: 2°C-8°C
• Side effects: Mild to moderate in severity and usually resolve within a few days of vaccination injection site tenderness; injection site pain, headache, fatigue; myalgia, malaise; pyrexia, chills; and arthralgia, nausea.

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Pfizer vaccine

• Technology: mRNA
• Efficacy: 95%
• Number of doses required: 2
• Dose interval: 21 days apart administered in the deltoid muscle with needle/syringe Vaccine require reconstitution
• Storage: -70°C during storage and distribution, at vaccination site could be stored at 2°C-8°C for 120 hours
• Side effects include fever, chills, headache and tiredness throughout the body were more common after the second dose of the vaccine. Most side effects were mild to moderate.
• Allergic reaction could occur within four hours of getting vaccinated, including symptoms such as hives, swelling, or wheezing (respiratory distress). This includes allergic reactions to polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polysorbate.

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Johnson & Johnson vaccine

• Technology: Ad26 Viral vector vaccine
• Efficacy: Currently in phase 3. Target efficacy 70%
• Number of doses required: 1
• Administered in the deltoid muscle with syringe
• Fully liquid vaccine
• Storage: 2°C-8°C
• Side effects: Initial safety information released for the vaccine shows that the most common reactions after the vaccine was administered included injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle aches.
• Phase III clinical trial in progress

Sinovac vaccine

• Technology: Inactivated vaccine
• Efficacy: 50%-70% (different trial results)
• Number of doses required: 2
• Dose interval: 14-day interval
• Administered in the deltoid muscle with needle/syringe
• Fully liquid vaccine
• Storage: 2°C-8°C
• Side effects: Most adverse reactions were mild, with the most common symptom being injection-site pain.

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Moderna vaccine

• Technology: mRNA
• Efficacy: 94.5%
• Number of doses required: 2
• Dose interval: 28-day interval
• Administered in the Deltoid muscle with syringe
• Fully liquid
• Storage: -20°C distribution storage at vaccination site could be stored at 2°C-8°C for 30 days
• Side effects (such as fever, chills, tiredness, and headache) throughout the body were more common after the second dose of the vaccine. Most side effects were mild to moderate.
• Allergic reactions could occur within four hours of getting vaccinated, including symptoms such as hives, swelling or wheezing (respiratory distress).
• This includes allergic reactions to polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polysorbate.

Vaccine information.

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