COVID-19 Booster Shots: Is Your Choice of Vaccine Important? Does It Make a Difference? Experts Explain

Adults in the US are being offered free COVID-19 booster shots. However, many wonders which brand of booster shot to get. Are there side effects if the booster shot is different from the vaccines? Do some complement each other while others don't? Numerous questions buzz as Americans choose between the three Covid boosters.

The truth of the matter is, all three available COVID-19 vaccines are highly efficient in combating the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and any adult can decide on whichever vaccine is available, or they want. Each booster has been deemed safe and effective by the CDC and the FDA. However, there are minor differences in the vaccines that could be a factor in a person's decision-making process, especially for older adults.

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Understanding the Differences of COVID Vaccines and Boosters

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When it comes to Moderna vaccines, the CDC has stated that it prompts a slightly stronger immunity and elicits a slightly higher antibody level than the other two vaccines. At the same time, this doesn't mean that Moderna is dramatically better than others in the long run.

All adults have been advised to get their COVID-19 booster shots at least six months after their initial vaccine series, except for people who have been taken the Johnson & Johnson's single vaccine that have been advised to get their boosts anytime past two months after the initial shot, reports Science Alert.

According to federal data on booster shots, most adults who received either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines stuck with their initial brand when getting the booster shot. On the other hand, Johnson & Johnson takers slightly prefer Moderna boosters. Evidence first published by Insider suggests that J&J users may benefit more from a heterologous boosting strategy where they would opt for adding an mRNA vaccine on top of J&J's adenovirus vaccine.

Numerous emerging clinical data suggest that Moderna vaccines perform slightly better at keeping older adults out of the hospital and lessen the risks of getting critically ill. Data from the Veterans Affairs showed that Moderna's vaccine was linked with a 21% lower risk of infection and up to 41% lower hospitalization risks than Pfizer's vaccine. This is why some experts say that it may be beneficial for elderly adults to get COVID-19 boosters from Moderna, especially since they are more vulnerable to severe outcomes.

Although Moderna boosters are touted as the most powerful, it is also the most intense. Because the brand's vaccine tends to be more reactogenic than Pfizer's, people who switch to Moderna boosters notice a severity in side effects at slightly elevated rates compared to their second shot. One of the most widespread complaints after a dose of the Moderna booster is pain in the injection site, headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue.

Over time, or several months, it will become impeccably clearer which COVID-19 vaccine strategy is the best and most beneficial. For now, experts advise adults not to overthink their decision and opt for the most available booster.