Understanding Viral Vector COVID-19 Vaccines

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (U.S.). Division of Viral Diseases.
• Description:
  Updated Mar. 14, 2022
  
  What You Need to Know
  
  • Viral vector vaccines use a modified version of a virus that is different from the virus being targeted to deliver important instructions to our cells. The modified version of the virus is called a vector virus.
  
  • Like all vaccines, viral vector vaccines benefit people who get vaccinated by giving them protection against diseases like COVID-19 without them having to risk the serious consequences of getting sick.
  
  • CDC recommends that people who are starting their vaccine series or getting a booster dose get either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines). The mRNA vaccines are preferred over Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (viral vector) in most circumstances, but the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine may be considered in some situations.
  
  The Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine, a viral vector vaccine, is among the COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Ad26COVS1 Coronavirus Infections / Prevention & Control COVID-19 / Prevention & Control COVID-19 Vaccines Viral Vaccine
• Document Type:
  Webpage
• Collection(s):
  Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:957eb47d4e4be7d715c72884db24b9e9c5d5a42a271d14667bbc7475530206fdce0a7b557eed0528c5157c804eaaf3a8d7931440afad2f37495bfb1bafdd5634
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/115410/cdc_115410_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 610.20 KB ]