One hope we have of life getting back to normal and the pandemic ending is a successful and safe vaccine for COVID-19. It looks like that hope will become a reality in the near future.

Last week, Pfizer announced that they had developed a COVID-19 vaccine that is 90% effective; however, one big drawback to the Pfizer vaccine is that it needs to be stored at -94 Fahrenheit. Be sure to notice the minus sign. Not every location has the ability or freezer space to store large quantities of a vaccine at such a low temperature.

Now, Moderna has announced that they have developed a COVID-19 vaccine that is 94.5% effective, and the Moderna vaccine does not need to be stored at such a low temperature. In fact, it can be stored at average refrigerator temperatures of between 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit. In a statement, Moderna said, “These are temperatures commonly found in readily available pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators which would enable simpler distribution in the United States and other parts of the world.”

The Moderna vaccine has undergone 3 trials already, and the results are promising. More than 30,000 people participated in the third trial, and the participants included people in the 65+ age range and people of color.

With two vaccines that both show effectiveness in the 90% range, it might raise hope for some and questions for others. For example, if both vaccines become available, do we get to decide which one to get, and if so, how would we decide?

Dr. Ashish Jha is the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, and he recently sat down for an interview on TODAY where he answered questions about the differences about the two vaccines and offered advice about the upcoming holiday season. Watch his interview below.

After Pfizer announced the hopeful results of their COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that he assumed healthcare workers would be among the first people who would be able to get the vaccine. Dr. Jha seemed to have the same thoughts during his interview.

When a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, will you get vaccinated?