When the pandemic first started, we didn’t know when a vaccine would come out or if it would ever be created, but now we have two and they’re working better than ever. A few weeks ago, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were released to the public with doctors and healthcare workers being first on the list, followed behind teachers and people involved in political stands. So far, 7.2% of the total U.S. population have received the vaccine and the results are pretty positive, although the side effects have hit hard. 

Two weeks ago, teachers got their Moderna Vaccines and everything was fine. For most, pain at the injection site was normal, although the fever and headaches only happened to a few. On a survey I did, only two teachers said that they felt very sick after receiving their shot. Side effects consisted of fever, migraine, swollen lymph nodes, and being overall tired. When the survey was completed, I questioned the Moderna vaccine because everyone who had it, they suffered from at least one side effect, while the Pfizer vaccine didn’t cause problems. So why is this? 

To start, the Moderna vaccine has a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) with instructions for producing a protein from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 that the Pfizer vaccine doesn’t have. Because of this one molecule, our bodies have to work harder to fight it off because it has the actual virus in it. Of course, what would a vaccine be if it didn’t have the virus in it? The reason Moderna causes more side effects is that it has 70 more micrograms in it than the Pfizer vaccine does. This doesn’t seem like a lot, but studies have proven that our immune system is only used to receiving 30 micrograms from different vaccines, so going up higher makes it more difficult on our bodies. 

Of course, everyone’s bodies react differently to all types of medicine, and some people have weaker immune systems than others, but science can prove that getting something new put into our bodies affects everyone. We still have a lot to learn about the pandemic, but every day we are getting closer and closer to figuring out how to stop people from getting sick.