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.

Dr. Brandon Kirsch
Connect on LinkedIn

Dr. Brandon Kirsch is a board-certified dermatologist with over 10 years of experience, blending his expertise in medicine, law, and technology. He earned his medical degree from Brown University, followed by an internship at the Mayo Clinic and a dermatology residency at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Kirsch is the Chief Science Officer at Musely.com, has served as Chief of Dermatology at Naples Community Hospital, and held prominent roles in leading biopharmaceutical companies, including Arena Pharmaceuticals, Dermavant Sciences, and Brickell Biotech. Dr. Kirsch is renowned for his warm disposition, authoritative knowledge and trusted patient care in dermatology.

Share this Article