Comirnaty bivalent is this Pfzier?

[Yankydoodledandy]

This is the vaccine a friend has had on her card written Comirnaty Bivalent.

She's panicking....I think it's pfzier, anyone know,???

Yes, it’s Pfizer.

Wonder why they didnt write Pfzier like before

And "spikevax" is Moderna one

Why are they changing the names

Because it’s a different vaccine. The bivalent one covers people for both the original strain and the omicron variant.

I think Pfizer was always officially called Comirnaty, so that part of the name didn't change.

Why is she panicking?

Why is she panicking?

Pfizer is the company that makes it. They also make Viagra but we don't call that Pfizer. It would get very confusing if we only referred to drugs by the company that made them!

Because she has always had pfzier due to age/chest issues

So Pfzier make this new vaccine which is named Comirnaty bivalent

It's not Pfizer for those reasons, it's mRNA and they are made by other companies than Pfizer. And not every Pfizer vaccine will be the same.

@Yankydoodledandy Yes, Pfizer manufacture comirnaty bivalent, in partnership with a small German company called BioNTech who did a lot of the development work.

@FireworksAndSparklers Not sure I agree with your point entirely here. Comirnaty Bivalent is a vaccine manufactured and distributed by Pfizer and its partner company BioNTech. Yes, mRNA vaccines can be manufactured by other companies as well (for example, Moderna), although this specific vaccine is manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech: for other companies to produce this same vaccine they would need to obtain permission from Pfizer/BioNTech (this is usually expensive, although I think the original Pfizer COVID vaccines did get licensed to other manufacturers owing to demand issues in 2021).

I think this simply got called 'the Pfizer vaccine' because 'Comirnaty' isn't exactly a catchy name to remember. Of course, Pfizer also manufactures a wide range of other drugs and vaccines.

Thanks for clearing that up. I had a Spikevax Bivalent and an acquaintance said it was Pfizer, had a lengthy rant about the dangers and sorrowfully shook his head at my ignorance. Which if you're right about it being Moderna is ironic.

All I said to spark it off was say I'd had my jab that morning and fish out the card when he demanded to see it.

I admit I don't know much about vaccines apart from thinking they are generally a good thing. He is unvaccinated.

Brands names so they can sell them.

Drugs companies have to make their money / build their brand within 10 years and then other companies can make the same product and prices usually fall.

They want us to ask for Spikevax and not the covid vaccine, in the same way that it costs a lot more to buy nurofen than any other brand of ibuprofen.

They want us to ask for Spikevax and not the covid vaccine, in the same way that it costs a lot more to buy nurofen than any other brand of ibuprofen.

How many people in the UK ask for covid vaccines or any other by name? Surely only people in groups vulnerable to one side effect or another from a particular formulation.

I got Spikevax because that's what they had. When I have a flu vaccine next week I won't know the specific brand either. It is a voluntary thing and I have decided that it has more benefits for me than not.

It's not the same as most people knowing that ibuprofen is likely to be as effective as Nurofen at much reduced cost. Or people who choose to buy Nurofen because they believe it is better.

It isn't now but it could be in future. Remember too that pharmaceutical companies are looking at their world wide sales. Brand names don't matter so much in the UK because of the NHS but in the US brand awareness makes a massive difference.

I was boggled by the number of ads on US TV telling people to ask for this and that. What's the point of going to medical school if I could just say to my doctor: "I saw this on TV so I want it."

I do not have blind faith but I trust that most doctors know what they are doing just as with my training I can advise people as it the best course of action when it comes to my job. Consultation and consent is the key rather than: "I saw it on the telly."