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JuniorTukkie May 2021
Health Sciences
Everything you need to know about COVID-19 vaccines By Profs Tivani Mashamba, Veronica Ueckermann and Theresa Rossouw
Experts at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria came together to answer the following common questions that people may be asking about COVID-19 vaccines. Why should we be vaccinated, and what are the benefits of agreeing to be vaccinated against COVID-19? The age-old cliché, prevention is better than cure, is very appropriate in the context of COVID-19 as we do not yet have a definitive cure. COVID-19 can have severe and life-threatening complications, and vaccination can save lives—not only our own, but also the lives of others.
Is the vaccine safe? Yes, the vaccines have gone through all the usual clinical testing steps, namely Phase 1, 2 and 3 trials undertaken to establish their safety and efficacy and the optimal dose. These phases were conducted more rapidly than usual, often in parallel. Thousands of participants were involved in the studies and were closely monitored. It should also be borne in mind that scientists gained extensive experience from the effects of the first Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
What is the acceptable percentage of efficacy required to consider a vaccine adequate? According to the World Health Organisation, the minimum percentage is 50%.
Do any of the vaccines have side effects? If so, what are they? Allergic reactions are rare, but there may be some redness and tenderness at the injection site for a few days. The most common side effects experienced by people who have been vaccinated are flu-like symptoms, such as body aches, headache or fever, which do not mean they have an infection but is a sign that their bodies are mounting an immune response—a good thing. A rare form of blood clots has been described after the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, but the risk is estimated to be 1 in a million.
Is it safe for people with co-morbidities to take the vaccine? Yes, several co-morbidities, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease and obesity, increase the risk of dying from COVID-19. Therefore, the vaccine trials specifically enrolled people with co-morbidities to test the safety of the vaccines in those populations.
Can a COVID-19 vaccine cause infection with the virus? No. Since the vaccine contains only a tiny portion of the virus and not the entire virus, it cannot give you COVID-19.
Who should avoid vaccination? The vaccine is not registered for children. Therefore children, pregnant women and anyone who has previously had an allergic reaction to a Messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) vaccine should not receive such a Coronavirus Disease (COVID) vaccine, as the Pfizer vaccine.
Do you have to continue wearing a mask after receiving the vaccine? Yes. Although vaccines significantly reduce people’s chances of getting COVID-19 and decrease the likelihood of severe illness or death, immunity is not immediate or necessarily complete.
Should I get the COVID-19 vaccine even if I have already had COVID-19? Yes. While you should have some natural immunity after being infected with the virus, you need to be vaccinated to avoid possible future COVID-19 infection, this is not long lasting and may not protect against new variants.
Is the vaccine administered in two doses? What will happen if you skip the second dose? If you do not receive the second dose, the efficacy of the vaccine will be significantly reduced, but this only applies to some vaccines. According to a recent publication, the Oxford vaccine, for instance, has only 76% efficacy after the first dose, but efficacy increases after the second dose.
Don’t procrastinate—vaccinate! Note: Prof Tivani Mashamba-Thompson is the Deputy Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Health Sciences, while Prof Veronica Ueckermann is the Acting Head of Infectious Diseases and Head of the COVID-19 Response Team and Prof Theresa Rossouw is a Clinician Scientist and Professor in the Department of Immunology.
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