Covid 19 vaccines are slowly making their way around the country to healthcare workers and to citizens. As of now,  2.95 million doses have been given in the state of Pennsylvania and of those 912,000 have been fully vaccinated. There are 2 kinds of vaccines being given with another new one being released soon. According to KQED, the Moderna vaccine is given to those 18 and older and is 94.1% effective in preventing disease. The Pfizer vaccine is given to those who are 16-18 and it’s 95% effective in preventing disease. Both of them require 2 doses to be fully effective and the vaccines must be stored in a cool place.

That brings us to the newest vaccine that was developed by Johnson & Johnson and is said to begin distribution to food and health workers. Unlike the previous vaccines it only requires one dose and does not require refrigeration. However while the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were developed to treat the SARS-2 strain, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is meant to fight against the newer strains that have been popping up in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil. It is about 66% effective against Covid overall but its strength varies depending on the region. However against severe disease, the vaccine proved to be 85% effective according to KQED.

The side effects of the vaccines can vary from person to person. Most common reported side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, joint pain, and muscle pain. Fever is also a side effect though not as common. Side effects are more likely to occur during the second dose of the vaccine. There have been reported cases of people having allergic reactions to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. In many of those cases have had a history of severe allergies in the past. 2.1 cases per one million had an allergic reaction to the Moderna vaccine while 6.2 cases per on million had an allergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine.

The current issue in Pennsylvania is that there is a shortage of the Moderna vaccine. This poses a problem to people who already received their first dose and were waiting for the second. Providers mistakenly sent out too many doses for the first round and some were supposed to be for the second. Allison Beam, the secretary of health, called the inconsistent vaccine supply and lack of communication between the health department and providers a “perfect storm”. The providers that made this mistake have not been named so it is unknown  who exactly did it and providers have requested 200,000 second doses. Luckily, this shortage only applies to the Moderna vaccine so there are still Pfizer vaccines available at this time.