TrueCare24 in 40 seconds
Our story began with a simple idea: our loved ones should be able to get high-quality care regardless of their income and status. What this means is easy, convenient, around-the-clock access to capable, vetted nurses and caregivers. Additionally, it means reliable, professional support in provider selection, recruitment, and placement. We wanted to make this solution accessible and easy to use for everyone, in order to make life a little easier in tough situations.COVID-19 Vaccination Program
Introducing COVID-19 Vaccination Program For Companies & Institutions powered by TrueCare24.TrueCare24 is able to vaccinate eligible employees or personnel in the effort to push health equity to the next level.
To discuss your vaccination event please contact us
COVID-19 New Variants
With a new year at hand, there is reason to feel hopeful in the fight against Covid-19. As of the end of February 2021, cases have continued to fall globally for consecutive weeks. Vaccines have shown great promise and have begun to roll out in many countries.Several new virus mutations have been discovered in recent months that may be more deadly and spread faster.
A Comparison of COVID-19 Vaccines Available
As we head into the next phase of the pandemic, questions are still arising about the vaccines available on the market and how they differ.What Vaccines Are Available Today?
Find out more about COVID-19 vaccinesOnsite COVID-19 Virus & Antibody Tests
The best precaution one can make is to ensure workers get tested for the Covid-19 virus. Recent recommendations from UCSF Health, conclude that is reasonable to administer a COVID-19 test within a period of three to seven days after returning home from travel.
As we head into the next phase of the pandemic, questions are still arising about the vaccines available on the market and how they differ.
TrueCare24 in 40 seconds
Our story began with a simple idea: our loved ones should be able to get high-quality care regardless of their income and status.
What this means is easy, convenient, around-the-clock access to capable, vetted nurses and caregivers. Additionally, it means reliable, professional support in provider selection, recruitment, and placement. We
wanted to make this solution accessible and easy to use for everyone, in order
to make life a little easier in tough situations.
Cells in the immune system use this genetic code to make the viral spike protein. The immune system, which has the capacity to recognize self and non-self proteins, becomes sensitized and ready to mount a more vigorous response to the spike protein when the immune system comes into contact with the virus. The mRNA vaccines carry the advantage of being able to sensitize the immune system without having to introduce whole bacteria or virus. They also have a shorter manufacturing time. Because the genetic code can be used as a template, it is easier to manufacture these vaccines on a large scale.
Pfizer vs. Moderna
While Pfizer and Moderna are both mRNA vaccines, they have a few subtle differences.
Pfizer’s vaccine has two doses administered 21 days apart, whereas Moderna’s vaccine has two doses administered 28 days apart. Moderna’s vaccine may be shipped at -4°F (standard freezer temperature), making this vaccine easier to transport. The side effect profile is similar for both vaccines — people may feel worse after the second dose with both Moderna and Pfizer.
Pfizer is also available for use in younger patients (age 16) while Moderna is available for people over the age of 18. Contraindications to both vaccines are similar as well. It is recommended for patients with a history of serious allergic reactions to vaccine ingredients such as polyethylene glycol and polysorbate to avoid both vaccines.
What Other Vaccines Are in the Market?
Other vaccines are also available or in the process of obtaining approval. AstraZeneca, for example, has a vaccine that uses a genetically altered cold virus for chimpanzees that contains the spike protein mutation found in the COVID virus. AstraZeneca’s vaccine is 70 percent effective while Pfizer and Moderna both report around a 95 percent efficacy.
Additionally, other vaccines are currently under study or being released. Jansen uses genetically modified viruses, but their vaccine only requires a single dose and reports a 66-72 percent efficacy rate. A single-dose vaccine may have useful application in places where access to health care, including follow-up, are limited.
Novavax, a two-dose vaccine, uses a spike protein, which, in turn, elicits an immune response. Results from Novavax vaccine trials confer an 89 percent efficacy rate.
These clinical trials in all, show multiple effective vaccines. However, initial trials have been mostly based on the original strain of the virus. What is largely unknown is the efficacy of each of these vaccines against each virus strain.
Do These Vaccines Actually Work?
There are some data on certain vaccines and how effective they are against different mutations. For example, Novavax has an efficacy rate of 50 percent against the African strain, and Johnson and Johnson reports a 50 percent efficacy rate against the South African strain.
Other strains have developed and circled across the globe as well. The UK variant is reported to be more than 50 percent more infectious than the original strain, and certain vaccines have been less effective against it as well. While initial reports are available about the efficacy of some vaccines against the UK strain, overall, more comprehensive data is needed to determine the true efficacy of each of these vaccines against current strains, as well as any other strains that may arise in the near future.
Interestingly, the UK is currently conducting studies to determine the efficacy of combining different vaccines in an effort to maximize the efficacy of the vaccines against various strains. In the future, this may help tailor vaccine regimens against dominant strains, but currently, the effect of this is largely unknown.
What's Next?
With only about one year into the pandemic, vaccines are already available, a great scientific success. Over time, as research progresses, we will develop a greater understanding of how these vaccines can be useful in protecting human civilization from this disease.
In case you need to organize a COVID-19 onsite testing for your employees, or you would like to speak with TrueCare24 consultant: