Since the first time COVID-19 broke out, the presence of the COVID-19 vaccine has always been something that all parties have been waiting for. Because, the presence of vaccines is believed to be the key to controlling a pandemic. The good news is that currently there are several vaccine candidates that have been approved for mass use.

Indonesia itself will import the COVID-19 vaccine from several different pharmaceutical companies. Each vaccine brand that will be imported by Indonesia certainly has its own advantages and disadvantages. So that you don't get confused about what vaccine to choose later. Come on, see here is a comparison of several vaccine brands that will be used in Indonesia, summarized from the Bio Space, Washington Post, and BBC pages.

1. Pfizer-BioNTech

After being injected, the cells secrete a spike protein, triggering the immune system to recognize the virus. In phase III trials, this vaccine demonstrated 95 percent effectiveness. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires storage of around -70 degrees Celsius, which means that it must be stored in a special freezer, making it less than ideal for use in developing countries where storage facilities are inadequate or uneven. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine itself has started to be used for mass vaccination in the UK as of December 8, 2020, with the first patient being a 90 year old woman. Type: mRNA Made in: Pfizer America and Germany BioNTech Effectiveness: 95 percent

2. Moderna

According to the reading of preliminary data from the COVID-19 vaccine, it shows the efficacy rate of the Moderna vaccine at 94.5 percent. Just like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Moderna is an mRNA vaccine and is both made by a US company. However, unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccine is stable at 2-7 degrees Celsius, or roughly the standard medical refrigerator temperature, for up to 30 days; and can be stored for up to six months at -20 degrees C. Type: mRNA Artificial: Moderna, USA Effectiveness: 94.5 percent

3. AstraZeneca

The collaborative vaccine from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford shows an effectiveness level of up to 90. The vaccine uses technology from the Oxford spinning company Vaccitech. This vaccine uses a weakened version of the common cold virus (adenovirus) which causes infection in chimpanzees. After vaccination, cells produce spike proteins that stimulate the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus. There were a total of 131 positive cases of COVID-19 in the interim analysis group. One dosing regimen was administered with half the dose followed by the full dose at one month intervals and demonstrated 90 percent effectiveness. Another dosage regimen is given two full doses with a gap of at least one month and shows 62 percent effectiveness. The combined analysis shows an average efficacy of 70 percent.

4. CoronaVac

CoronaVac uses an inactive virus to expose the body's immune system to viruses without causing a serious disease response. When compared to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, CoronaVac uses a more traditional vaccine method, but is effectively applied to many popular vaccines, such as rabies. One of the main advantages of Sinovac is that it can be stored in a standard refrigerator at a temperature of 2-8 degrees Celsius. In addition, Sinovac is estimated to be able to produce 300 million doses of vaccine a year. However, because the CoronaVac vaccine has not completed the final stage of trials, it is not certain what percentage of its effectiveness is. However, according to the first and second trials, it can be said that this vaccine is effective in emergency situations

5. Sinopharm

Just like the CoronaVac vaccine, the Sinopharm vaccine also uses a virus that has been killed or weakened. The Sinopharm vaccine also has advantages in terms of storage, because it can be stored in an ordinary refrigerator. It will probably also be the most widely used in the whole world. In fact, since last November about 1 million people have received the Sinopharm vaccine, including Chinese citizens who work abroad. Type: Inactive virus Artificial: Sinopharm Effectiveness: 86 percent