VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Monday morning, the Virginia Beach City Government made an important clarification for people signed up to get the vaccine: on the day of a vaccination clinic, they won't be able to guarantee any patients a specific brand of the shot.
So far, the city has been receiving both the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer vaccine from the Virginia Department of Health.
They both take two doses to reach maximum protection from severe cases of COVID-19. Both Moderna and Pfizer also reported their vaccines were about 95% effective at preventing mild to severe symptoms after two doses.
Neither brand puts a live strain of the novel coronavirus into a person's body.
There should be three weeks between the first and second doses of a Pfizer vaccine, and a month between the first and second doses of a Moderna vaccine.
The main difference between the two doses in circulation so far, is the temperature hospitals have to store them.
The city of Virginia Beach didn't want vaccine recipients to expect they would be able to request a specific brand at their scheduled appointments.
"When you get vaccinated, you will be provided a card that contains the name of the vaccine manufacturer, the vaccine lot number and a fact sheet with information specific to the vaccine that you received," a spokesperson wrote on the Virginia Beach City Government Facebook page.