Which Covid-19 Vaccines Should I take?

 

I am not sure about you but personally, feel confused about the many types of vaccines available. It's not that we are spoiled with choices. It just a matter of what good and suitable for our body. I bet many of us want the best for ourselves and our family. Do you know that the concept now is to take as it is or wait for your turn again? 

When the Malaysian Government announced on the AstraZeneca vaccines will be a giveaway on a voluntary basis, I was sceptical. I can't make the decision at all. While all my family members snatch out the opportunities, here I am still unable to make my own decision. I just can't decide on this at all. Why? Lack of knowledge and so ignorant on getting to know what is what. At least, I want to know where is the origin of this vaccine and the success rate of the trial and much more information needed. Another consideration needed is whether this is suitable for an Asian body since we live in different climates and so on. Did I think too much? Urgh! this is tough for me.

Only now, I have the urge to get to know it further. As far as my knowledge capacity which I gathered the information from my 'google magic work'. I wanted to list it down here for the sake of my personal reference and if my list here benefits others, it will be good too.

First, let us understand what is the vaccine?

Vaccine intended to provide acquire immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

As of April 2021, 13 vaccines are authorized by at least one national regulatory authority for public use :

1. Pfizer-BioNtech (vaccine type: mRNA vaccines) - developed by Germany and support by an American company.

Pfizer-BioNtech Legal status: AU (prescription only), BR (Approved), CA (Authorized by interim order), UK (Conditional and temporary authorization to supply), US (Standing order; Unapproved - Emergency use authorization), EU (conditional marketing authorization granted), CH (Rx- I am not sure what does this means?), ZA (Section 21) - don't know what this means too.

2. Moderna (vaccine type: mRNA vaccines) - developed by Moderna, the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infection Disease and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development.

Moderna Legal status: CA (authorized by interim order), UK (marketing authorization granted), US (Standing Order unapproved - Emergency Use Authorization), EU (Conditional Marketing Authorization granted)

3. BBIBP-CorV is also known as Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines (vaccine types: inactive vaccines) -developed by Sinopharm a China National Pharmaceutical  Group Corporation)

Legal status: China, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Serbia, UAE, Iran, Bangladesh (Emergency Authorization)

4. CoronaVac also known as Sinovac (vaccine types: inactive vaccines) - developed by a Chinese company called Sinovac Biotech.

Legal status: Emergency authorization for use in China, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey and Pakistan

5. Covaxin also know as BBV152 (vaccine types: inactive vaccines) - developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the India Council of Medical Research.

Legal status : EUA (IND, IRN, ZWE, MU, NP, PY, MX, PH, MM, GT, NI, GY, VE, BW)

6. WIBP-CorV (vaccine types: inactive vaccines) - developed by Sinopharm

Legal status: Authorization for use in China, UAE

7. CoviVac (vaccine type: inactive vaccines) - developed by the Chumakov Centre which is an institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Legal status: Registered in Russia on 20 Feb 2021

8. Sputnik V (vaccine type: viral vector vaccines) - developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. Registered on 11 Aug 2020 by the Russian Ministry of Health as Gam-Covid-Vac.

Legal status: Emergency authorization only: AE, AG, DZ, BO, BY, HU, IR, PS, RS, IND, BD

9. Oxford - AstraZeneca code name AZD1222 and sold under brand name Covishield and Vaxzevria (vaccine type: viral vector vaccines) - developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca

Legal status: AU (by prescription only), CA (authorized by interim), UK (conditional and temporary authorisation to supply), EU (conditional marketing authorization), KR, BR - approved, IND, INA, BD, AG, SV, DOM, TU, MEX, NE, SL, SRB - Emergency authorization only.

10. Convidecia also known as AD5-nCOV ((vaccine type: viral vector vaccines)  developed by CanSino Biologics which is a Chinese vaccine company.

Legal status: Emergency use authorization in China and Chile

11. Johnson & Johnson (vaccine type: viral vector vaccines) - developed by Janssen Vaccines in Leiden, Netherlands, and its Belgian parent company Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of American company Johnson & Johnson

Legal status: CA(authorization by interim order) , US (Standing Order; Unapproved - Emergency Use authorization, EU (Conditional marketing authorization granted)

12. EpiVacCorona (vaccine type: protein subunit vaccines) - developed by Vector Center of Virology of Russian.

Legal status: Registered in Russia on 14 Oct 2020, RU registered, TU approved.

13. RBD Dimer also known as ZF2001 (vaccine types: protein subunit vaccines) - developed by Anhui Zhifei Longcom in collaboration with the Institute of Microbiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Legal status: unknown. As of Dec 2020, the vaccine candidate was in Phase 111 trials with 29,000 participants in China, Ecuador, Malaysia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

14.  QazCovid-in (vaccine type: inactivated virus vaccine) - developed by the Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems in Kazakhstan)

Legal status: unknown

At least out of 14 on the list, six of those have been approved for emergency or full use by at least one WHO -recognized stringent regulatory authority (Oxford - AstraZeneca, Pfizer - BioNtech, Sputnik V, Snopharm-BBIBP, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson)

Source of information from WIKI

Like I mentioned in earlier this post, this entry is for the sake of my own personal reference since I am personally confused with too many vaccines name. I don't know when will my time to get the vaccines. If the time comes, I can make a better decision on whether to take it or wait for another one.

As for the list of vaccine for covid 19 in Malaysia now, are :

1. Pfizer- BioNtech - origin US

2. AstraZeneca - origin UK

3. Sinovac - origin China

4. CanSino Biologics - origin China

5. Sputnik V - origin Russia

The list may be updated by now. 

I still need to study more about the vaccine types. The terms are too science for me.