Availability of vaccines will vary from week to week, so please feel free to reach out to the team at Palm Care Pharmacy for the latest information on what is available. Below are the three vaccine brands that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are being administered currently in the United States.

This is a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine that is 94% effective in preventing coronavirus with symptoms and 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in people with health conditions like obesity and diabetes. It is free of eggs, latex, and preservatives. The mRNA vaccine sends a message to your cells, instructing them how to make a protein that triggers an immune system response to protect against future COVID-19 infection. A Moderna vaccination requires two vaccine doses at least 28 days apart.

Like Moderna, the Pfizer vaccine is an mRNA vaccine. It is 95% effective in preventing coronavirus with symptoms and greater than 89% effective in preventing COVID-19 in people with health conditions such as obesity and diabetes. It is free of eggs, latex, and preservatives. The primary difference between Moderna and Pfizer is that Pfizer is approved for any person 16 years and older, while Moderna is only approved for adults 18 years and older. A Pfizer vaccination requires two vaccine doses at least 21 days apart.

This is a vector vaccine that is 66% effective in preventing coronavirus symptoms and 85% effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus with severe illness. The Johnson & Johnson vector vaccine uses a modified version of a different virus to deliver instructions to the cells to prevent future COVID-19 infection. It is free of eggs, latex, and preservatives.

Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) paused the vaccine administration briefly, they continue to recommend the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because the benefits outweigh any risks related to vaccine use. Unlike Moderna and Pfizer that both require two vaccine doses, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose.