Important Facts About Safety Of Coronavirus Vaccine
The history of vaccines tells us that we can usually see any severe side effects from a vaccine in the first two to four months after widespread use. Many have asked a question whether I would be among the first to take the coronavirus vaccine.
Facts about the current phase 3 trials:
There are around twelve vaccines that are in phase 3, which is the final stage when it comes to the research part. It requires the enrollment of thousands of people for the study. The participants receive either a vaccine or a placebo, and their infection rate and immune response are monitored. The vaccine’s effectiveness is evident if the group that received it shows significant protection from getting the infection.
Two vaccines that are currently making the headlines are from Pfizer and Moderna. Both of them are what we call the mRNA vaccine. Production of the coronavirus vaccine can involve other mechanisms. For example, the creation of the Oxford vaccine involves a different method. It uses a different virus called Adenovirus as a genetic material carrier that leads the body to elicit an immune response to the spike protein. mRNA vaccines are the easiest to produce, which is why they are available before others. The only issue with mRNA vaccines is that they can be unstable. That poses a significant problem for transportation and storage and widespread deployment. The strict lab environment is hard to replicate outside.
Points in support of the safety of mRNA:
a. mRNA cannot cause infection, which means that the vaccine will not give us COVID
b. mRNA does not enter the cell’s nucleus, which means that it should not alter the DNA sequence of our cells
c. mRNA gets broken down by our body within hours of getting it, so there should be no long term effects
When will we get the vaccine?
The companies have applied for what is called EUA (emergency use authorization). An FDA committee is evaluating the progress and reviewing the data very carefully. Renowned, well-respected experts who have dedicated their entire lives to vaccines’ advancement make up this FDA group. If and when they decide to approve the application, it will be after very close scrutiny of the data. It is expected that the committee could approve the application in the next few weeks, and the first batch of vaccines will be available to hospitals in December.
The bigger question that may come up more than safety is the effectiveness of the vaccine. If not stored correctly, the efficacy can diminish. Major hospitals have the resources and past experiences with storage. Similar strict measures might not be possible in, for example, a small pharmacy.
We know that the first vaccine is not necessarily the safest or most effective vaccine. We have seen this with other vaccines, such as Shingles. The work on coronavirus vaccines will continue for the next few years, and we will continue to see updates in terms of which ones are supreme. But we need to start the process of vaccinating the population as we can never achieve herd immunity without it.
Do we need to wear masks after getting the vaccine?
As Dr. Fauci said in an interview, “wearing masks is still better than any vaccine.” There are strong reasons that support the use of precautions, even after getting the vaccine. First, as we don’t have full data on how long the vaccine will stay protective, we need to observe masking and hand sanitization. The vaccine’s effectiveness could be a few months or a few years; only wide use will give us more data.
Second, even if weare vaccinated, we could still transmit the virus to others and aid in spreading the infection. Preventive measures will help stop someone who is not vaccinated or might have had a less effective immune response.
What about convalescent plasma and other treatments?
We need more data on convalescent plasma. There were two controlled studies on plasma that did not show compelling benefit. For sicker patients who need high oxygen or are on breathing machines, at this time, steroids and Ramdesevir have shown clear benefit. The use of monoclonal antibodies is being studied and might be more beneficial in an outpatient setting.
The quest to have the best vaccine will continue for a few years to come. Even if the first vaccine is not the best, it will help break the pandemic and restore normalcy. The field of vaccines has catapulted to new heights, and it is an extraordinary feat for the scientific community.
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