# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [January 1, 2021, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428 "2021-01-01T08:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 127
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2583 "2021-09-18T15:28:53Z")
I wonder how much of the difference is due to Moderna being a larger dose, how much is due to Moderna recommending a longer time between the two doses, and how much is something else. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2584 "2021-09-18T15:48:36Z")
My brother is gloating. Seven months ago I got my first Pfizer, as did my gf. We were totally Team Pfizer. My brother was scrambling, trying to find a vaccine, and ended up with Moderna. We made fun of him. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2585 "2021-09-18T17:18:40Z")
My preference was moderna when the vaccinations started. Moderna kicked in faster and had a few percentage points advantage in hospitalization and death. Glad I found a pharmacy with moderna. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2586 "2021-09-18T17:45:22Z")
Is there any information on the actual difference between the formulations of the vaccines–ideally information that’s been simplified somewhat for the layman? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2587 "2021-09-18T18:26:55Z")
I literally didn’t know which vaccine i would get until i arrived at the venue, which had a few extra shots and administered all three. I am happy to have been vaccinated when i was. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2588 "2021-09-18T19:13:57Z")
SpikeVax here. I heard on a news station-that has made mistakes in the past-that Moderna is testing a flu and COVID booster, also that Moderna testing shows that one can get the flue shot and the booster at the same appointment, no need to wait two weeks between. If this is true, its good news. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2589 "2021-09-18T19:41:39Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Is there any information on the actual difference between the formulations of the vaccines–ideally information that’s been simplified somewhat for the layman ? It doesn’t even need to be simplified – the ingredient lists for the mRNA vaccines are, indeed, simple. > **[A Simple Breakdown of the Ingredients in the COVID Vaccines](https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/healthu/2021/01/11/a-simple-breakdown-of-the-ingredients-in-the-covid-vaccines)** > > If you’re among the many wondering “what’s actually in it?” and, “is it safe to receive the injection?”, read on. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2590 "2021-09-18T19:52:51Z")
Three Texas tourists in NYC assaulted a restaurant hostess simply for doing her job and asking them for proof of vaccination, as local law requires: > **[Hostess assaulted at NYC restaurant after asking Texas patrons for proof of...](https://abcnews.go.com/Business/hostess-assaulted-nyc-restaurant-texas-patrons-proof-covid/story?id=80076878)** > > New York City requires at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to dine indoors. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2591 "2021-09-19T12:46:36Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I guess I’m glad I got the Moderna shots. Me too. It was just dumb luck for me though. I just went to a nearby pharmacy and got whatever it was they were using. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2592 "2021-09-19T13:39:10Z")
Same here. We didn’t have a choice. More accurately, in April/May (and earlier for Nurse Wife) just finding a place that had vaccines was hard enough. We took what we could get. (J&J for the wife, Moderna for me.) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2593 "2021-09-19T14:06:33Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > > [@BigT](#): > > > > Is there any information on the actual difference between the formulations of the vaccines–ideally information that’s been simplified somewhat for the layman ? > > It doesn’t even need to be simplified – the ingredient lists for the mRNA vaccines are, indeed, simple. > > [A Simple Breakdown of the Ingredients in the COVID Vaccines](https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/HealthU/2021/01/11/a-simple-breakdown-of-the-ingredients-in-the-covid-vaccines/) That is indeed a good article. It however misses two things I was wondering about: is the mRNA in both of them the same, and are the amounts the same? I’m really curious why Moderna would be doing better. (I got Moderna, BTW. That’s what was available at the mass vaccination clinic. The same hospital had a different clinic in a nearby town that had Pfizer, though they did eventually offer it here, too, once it was approved for kids over 12. That said, due to an illness, I got mine at 8 weeks instead of 4 weeks out. I’m not sure if that makes things better, worse, or a wash.) ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2594 "2021-09-19T14:11:11Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That is indeed a good article. It however misses two things I was wondering about: is the mRNA in both of them the same, and are the amounts the same? Moderna has roughly 3 times the amount of the active ingredient compared to Pfizer. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2595 "2021-09-19T14:28:49Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That said, due to an illness, I got mine at 8 weeks instead of 4 weeks out. I’m not sure if that makes things better, worse, or a wash.) A wash. You spent eight weeks at risk (or four weeks…not quite sure what you are saying) before you got the vaccine. But you did not contract covid and got the vaccine. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2596 "2021-09-19T14:48:22Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > You spent eight weeks at risk (or four weeks…not quite sure what you are saying) before you got the vaccine. But you did not contract covid and got the vaccine. Sorry for being unclear. I’m saying that I waited an extra four weeks before getting my second dose. I’ve heard that there’s some data that seems to suggest a longer wait is better, but I don’t know if that’s true or if it applies to Moderna. I got my first dose after my dad (who lives with me) was fully vaccinated, and he got his the week he was eligible, and got his second dose four weeks later. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2597 "2021-09-19T14:49:03Z")
Likely better. Many boosters work better if you wait longer between doses. Maybe the same. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2598 "2021-09-19T14:56:51Z")
I’d guess that since the technologies are similar, the dosage and time between jabs are major factors. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2599 "2021-09-19T15:50:09Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Aside: I think it would have been okay to say “pregnant _women_ ” in the headline. “Pregnant people” just sounds weird. Aside to your aside: I have been seeing this phrasing more and more lately. Maybe related to the changes and advancements in gender identity and related issues in the last 15-20 years. One also hears “We’re pregnant” (from either member of a couple) a lot more than one used to. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2600 "2021-09-19T16:06:43Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > Moderna has roughly 3 times the amount of the active ingredient compared to Pfizer. If using 3 times as much active ingredient is all that’s needed to make the vaccine more effective why didn’t Pfizer do it? Heck, why didn’t they use 15 or 20 times as much active ingredient? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2601 "2021-09-19T16:09:49Z")
It’s an emerging science. Too strong a dose _may_ lead to complications, so there’s probably a limit to the dosage. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2602 "2021-09-20T02:00:19Z")
For the blue state vs red state debate: > **[California reports lowest COVID-19 case rate in the country](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-covid-lowest-positivity-rate/)** > > As of Saturday evening, 24.99 new confirmed cases were reported for every 100,000 people in California, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=126) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=128)