COVID-19 mRNA VACCINES FRONTRUNNERS: EVALUATION OF BIO-PHARMACOLOGICAL FEATURES AND ANTAGONISTIC EFFECTS OF PFIZER-BIONTECH AND MODERNA VACCINES.

Vaccines are important component of public health programs worldwide and are considered as essential tools for the control, prevention and/or eradication of infectious diseases. The continuous spread of Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses severe threat to the global economy and human health. To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the large-scale production and availability of mRNA-based vaccinations remains a major challenge, particularly when recurrent mutations take place on the virus. This review study compares the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines with regard to their pharmacology, side effects, indications and contraindications. The data for this literature review were collected from various databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) using the key words: Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination, Moderna vaccine and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Published literature showed that both the vaccines are useful in terms of protection from SARS-CoV-2 infections. People aged 16 years or older were recommended to get vaccinated with 30 μg (0.3 m) dose of Pfizer/ BioNTech Vaccine. It is 95% effective for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, Moderna vaccine has been recommended with 50 μg (0.5 mL) dose having 94.5% effectiveness for 18 years and older individuals. Both the vaccines after first dose provide immunogenicity for at least 119 days. Published studies reported less frequent side effects in the Pfizer/BioNTech as compared to the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19. However, Moderna vaccine is less sensitive to temperature and can easily be transported compared to Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]