Pfizer or Moderna?

Please know first and foremost that Kirsch Dermatology respects your right to decide whether to take a vaccine or any other medicine. We understand that the decision is deeply personal and involves consideration of an individualized risk-benefit assessment. Patient autonomy is a central principle of medical ethics.

For those interested in potentially taking vaccines by Pfizer or Moderna please note the following results from a “real world” study of over 645,000 individuals conducted by the Mayo Clinic:

• Overall, both were highly effective when measured against all COVID-19 variants
• The risk of infection for those vaccinated decreased 76% for Pfizer and 86% for Moderna
• The risk of hospitalization for those vaccinated decreased 85% for Pfizer and 91.6% for Moderna
• The risk of ICU admission for those vaccinated decreased 87% for Pfizer and 93.3% for Moderna
• Effectiveness has diminished with increases in community prevalence of the Delta variant. In other words, while retaining overall effectiveness, both were slightly worse protecting against this new variant.
• In Florida, the risk of infection during the surge of Delta cases in July 2021 after full vaccination with Moderna was about 60% lower than after full vaccination with Pfizer

Overall, the Mayo Clinic found that both vaccines strongly reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19, but individuals vaccinated with Moderna were about half as likely to experience breakthrough infections as individuals vaccinated with Pfizer.

We hope you find this information helpful. On appointment, we are available to share our advice and opinion to help further inform your decision-making process. For your convenience, we offer both the Moderna and Janssen (JNJ) vaccines for COVID-19.

Share this Article

Brandon Kirsch, MD

Brandon Kirsch, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in clinical drug development and medical innovation. He is the founder of Kirsch Dermatology in Naples, Florida and is also the Chief of Dermatology at the Naples Community Hospital.