Differences Between Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines, According to BPOM

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia has received several batches of the Pfizer and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to drive the country’s mass vaccination program after obtaining an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM).  

There are several aspects differing one from the other even though both vaccines are of the mRNA type. Referring to the agency’s official website, the following are aspects differing Pfizer from Moderna vaccine. 

1. The two have different user age restrictions.  The Pfizer vaccine has a minimum age of 12 while the Moderna vaccine can only be injected to people aged 18 and above. 
2. Both have different doses and vaccine administration time. The Pfizer vaccine instructs 0.3 ml for each injection and must be given twice within a 3-week gap. The Moderna vaccine administers 0.5 ml for a single person and two doses within a one-month window. 
3. There are also differences in efficacy as the Pfizer vaccine has logged a 95.5 percent success rate for people aged 16 and above and 100 percent for teens aged between 12-15 years old. The Moderna vaccine has recorded a 94.1 percent efficacy rate for the 18-65-year-old age group and 86.4 percent for people aged 65 and above.
4. There are also differences in how the two are stored. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored under ultra low temperatures within -90 degrees and -60 degrees celsius, while the Moderna vaccine can be stored at a -20 degrees celsius storage. 

Read: Indonesia to Purchase 55 Refrigerators for Pfizer Vaccine

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