b'COVID-19 VaccinesBy Ellen Whipple, Pharm.D. and Jerey Murray, Pharm.D. candidate,University of Georgia College of PharmacyBoth the Pzer and Moderna vaccines formRNA: Contains genetic material that instructsCOVID-19 are currently available in the U.S., our body on how to recreate harmless proteinsand the AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to from the COVID-19 virus. be available in the upcoming months. Many COVID-19 Vaccinesquestions exist about the ecacy and safety Pzer and Moderna are the two primaryof these vaccines and how they interact with vaccinesapprovedandrecommendedtomultiple sclerosis and the disease-modifying prevent COVID-19. Both vaccines are beingdrugs used to treat MS. This article will explore distributed and are mRNA vaccines. Thesethese and other questions. vaccines each require two injections, dosedHow Vaccines Work either 21 days apart (Pzer) or 28 days apartAll vaccines work with the long-lasting (Moderna) and are associated with similarmemory of our immune system. They adverse reactions such as chills, tiredness,introduce parts of the virus either as proteins, and headache. The intensity of the reactionsweakened virus with genetic material (vector), isgenerallymild-to-moderate, withmostor mRNA. occurring after the second dose of the vaccine. Protein: Harmless parts of the virus that AstraZeneca has received emergency usecauses COVID-19, which allow our bodies to recently in both the UK and India, but is stillrecognize the virus if it tries to infect us. under review by the U.S. FDA. The AstraZenecavaccine is a virus vector, utilizing a common Vector: A virus that is not COVID-19 with cold virus (adenovirus) modied to contain ageneticmaterialfromCOVID-19inserted surface protein of the COVID-19 virus. Thiswithin it. Our bodies then use the genetic vaccine also requires two injections, with thematerial to recreate proteins associated with second shot being administered at least oneCOVID-19. month after the rst.21 msfocusmagazine.org'