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Which Vaccine Would You Prefer?
- Moderna
- Pfizer
- Johnson & Johnson
A good-natured rivalry has been brewing between those receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine versus the Pfizer vaccine as more doses have been made available to the majority of the public.
Since Americans began receiving their initial doses of the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, photos of vaccination cards and celebratory videos of successful shots have flooded social media, with some on both sides taking playful jabs at the other in the process.
According to social media trends, “Pfizer girls” believe they are superior to “Moderna girls,” though there is no scientific basis behind which is the “hot vaccine.”
Conspicuously, the now-paused, one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine doesn’t even measure on the popularity radar and seemingly has fallen off the map, especially amid issues with its production.
The Pfizer vaccine was shown to be 95 percent in preventing infection, compared to 94 percent for the Moderna vaccine. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is about 66 percent effective.
The “war” has largely been waged online by millennials and younger Americans who have been posting “vaccine selfies” and commenting back-and-forth on outlets such as TikTok.
- Related story - COVID-19: New Studies Shed Light On Moderna Vaccine's Effectiveness Against Variants
On Reddit, a discussion with more than 300 comments has also delved deep into the Moderna vs. Pfizer vaccine debate.
Although the debate rages on social media outlets and pervades pop culture, top health experts maintain that the best vaccine is the one you can get right away.
As of Monday, April 19, President Joe Biden has mandated states to expand eligibility for those allowed to take the vaccine to anyone 16 and older.
Health officials agree, however, that anything that gets the younger generations to participate in vaccination programs is a positive.
The CDC last reported that of the millions vaccinated for COVID-19 across the country, approximately 10 percent were between the ages of 18 and 29.
While it doesn't appear the vaccine rivalries are being used to spread misinformation about the vaccine, TikTok has been providing a banner on videos discussing COVID-19 vaccines that can link viewers to an in-app coronavirus resource hub.
That hub includes commonly asked questions and answers about COVID-19 vaccines with answers coming directly from the CDC and the World Health Organization.
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