Source: CTV
As Canada prepares to receive up to 1.9 million more vaccines from suppliers this week including the single-shot Johnson & Johnson, and the percentage of Canadians receiving vaccinations continues to rise, CTVNews.ca offers an explainer on the differences between the vaccines approved by Health Canada that are currently available or will soon be available.
Pfizer-BioNTech
Pfizer-BioNTech, Canada’s first authorized vaccine, is approximately 52.4 per cent effective after the first dose. The second dose of the vaccine is recommended to be taken up to four months later. The NACI said that having more individuals vaccinated with their first dose, will decrease the chances of community transmission.
Moderna
Moderna was approved by Health Canada in late December 2020 and has an 80% efficacy rate after the first dose and a 92% efficacy rate 14 days later. The vaccine will be 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 two weeks after the second dose is administered.
AstraZeneca
According to AstraZeneca, the vaccine will be 76% effective after 22-90 days of administration. As per the Canadian government, increasing the interval between the first and second doses increases AstraZeneca’s effectiveness. The second dose is nearly 63% effective in preventing COVID-19 two weeks after the first dose, but when taken 12 weeks or more after the first dose, the vaccine becomes 82% effective in preventing the virus, with immunity building over time.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is the first single-dose vaccine to be approved in Canada. The vaccine is 66% effective in preventing COVID-19 two weeks after administration, and immunity will develop over time.
