What do you need to know now about the COVID-19 Vaccines?

It’s been a long and very scary year because of COVID-19 pandemic but with the debut of COVID-19 vaccines, hope for a healthy future is finally on the way.

This month saw the release of new vaccines designed for fight against Coronavirus, with plans for more pandemic-fighting vaccines to roll out in the months ahead. While people are seen excited and nervous about what the future holds, there are, understandably, many questions and doubts surrounding the vaccines.

What are the similarities and differences between the COVID-19 vaccines? How do those work? How effective are those? What are the side effects? When do I get my turn to shot? We aim to address some of the more pressing issues now.

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COVID-19 Vaccines: A New Medical Frontier

As deaths from the COVID-19 surge, the WHO (World Health Organization) recently approved the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, and there are several more types of vaccines to fight the pandemic in the works.

The COVID-19 vaccines are similar in many ways. Those are administered intramuscularly, those yield close to 95% effectiveness in preventing a COVID-19 infection in clinical trials. In addition to preventing any illness, those who were vaccinated and still became infected were less likely to develop a severe form of Coronavirus.

However, there are key differences. One vaccine is recommended for people with age 16 and up, while other vaccines are recommended for people with age 18 and older. The second shot of the COVID-19 vaccines should be taken as per government guidelines after the first few days back.

COVID-19 vaccines need to be stored at the super-cold temperature of minus 70 degrees C, whereas those vaccines can be stored in a home freezer as well.

How COVID-19 Vaccines Differ From Traditional Vaccines

One major similarity of the COVID-19 vaccines: Those are COVID-19 vaccines, or nucleic-acid based technology that has been studied for decades.

Unlike traditional vaccines, a COVID-19 vaccine does not include dead or modified live viral elements. Instead, it contains a code for a vital protein located on the virus, in this case the COVID-19 spike protein. 

The COVID-19 vaccine acts as a messenger or recipe card that enters our cells. Our cells then “read” the message, create the encoded protein and display it on the outer cellular membrane. The immune system recognizes the protein and creates antibodies against it. If exposed to COVID-19 in the future, vaccine recipients will then have antibodies and specially trained T-cells to protect them.

Think of an COVID-19 vaccine like an architect dropping off plans to a software developers on how to find and resolve a specific bug. The developer fix a bug and plug-in it in existing code. Then a skilled and experienced developer comes along, sees the bug fixed code and makes a unique code with it. The antibody is the key and the viral protein is the bug solution.

The COVID-19 vaccine is also shown to produce a strong T cell response, giving it a distinct immunological advantage. Both a strong antibody and T cell response is needed for a COVID-19 vaccine to be effective. After delivery of the coded message, the COVID-19 is quickly and safely degraded by the body.

It cannot change our genetics, because it never enters the cell nucleus, the storage house for our genetic code. It only enters the cytoplasm, the thick solution that fills each cell.

COVID-19 vaccines need to be kept frozen and will be delivered from labs to clinics all over the country using “the cold chain” method. All the COVID-19 manufactured vaccines are put in vials and transported in large thermal containers packed with dry ice to hospitals and clinics. It will be transported at -70 degrees C. All transportations will be monitored with temperature probes to make sure the vaccines don’t spoil.

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The Vaccine is Safe, Right? Fact vs. Fiction

Some people are concerned about the safety and security of the vaccines because of how quickly they were developed. Historically it takes 10–15 years to develop and test a single vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccines came out within short timeline. While scientists and experts accelerated the process because of the pandemic and the ability to easily enroll study subjects due to the prevalence of the condition, no developmental steps were skipped, and safety was critically evaluated. 

In fact, clinical trials have important third party committees built into the process which monitor the data and any safety issues that arise and these groups are free of any political or economic bias or gain.

Also, scientists have been working on an COVID-19 vaccine for nearly 30 years and were able to build on the current evidence base rather than start from scratch. The safety profile of the COVID-19 vaccines is similar to WHO-approved vaccines, with the most common issues being temporary injection site pain, fatigue, and headache. Bell’s Palsy, or temporary weakness and one-sided facial paralysis, has been reported in participants in vaccines trials. 

The researchers are actively monitoring this, but does not think it was caused by the vaccine as the incidence of these findings in the study population was the same as what we typically encounter in the general population. In fact, Bell’s Palsy mostly occurs after a viral illness and has been associated with COVID-19 infections, not the actual vaccine.

The side effects from those COVID-19 vaccines are normal and consistent with other regularly-used, WHO-approved vaccines. A common side effect of the first shot is local injection site soreness of the muscle.

With the second dose, about 20% of patients may develop side effects like body aches, chills, and feverishness which typically last a day or less and are treated with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. These are all completely normal and expected and indicate that the immune system is responding appropriately. That’s a very good thing!

Researchers are monitoring a severe (but rare) anaphylaxis or allergic reaction to the vaccine. Patients who have a history of anaphylaxis to a component of the vaccine, other vaccines or medications are being cautioned. Everyone is being monitored after injections for a short period of time for signs and symptoms of this.

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Who Gets the Vaccine First?

Vaccine supply will be limited in the early days of distribution, and effectiveness will be continually monitored and updated.

Here’s the expected order for vaccination distribution in the INDIA:

•     Healthcare workers and people in long-term care facilities
•     Essential workers
•     Adults with underlying medical conditions and people over 75
•     All other adults
  

If you have already recovered from COVID-19, you can still get vaccinated once your active COVID symptoms have subsided and you are removed from quarantine. Experts are unsure how long natural immunity lasts. For people who received passive antibody therapy, the recommendation is to wait 90 days after onset of infection to get vaccinated. 

Anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or medical therapies should discuss the risks and benefits with their clinician. While a safety and effectiveness profile for immune compromised people and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding has not yet been fully studied or established, they can still get the vaccine but should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctor(s) first.

Why Vaccines Are Crucial

It’s important everyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine gets it. Not only will it help protect you from getting affect with COVID-19, but it will also help build herd immunity in your community. Herd immunity is reached when enough of the population is immune to COVID-19 and the spread significantly slows down. Because COVID-19 is such a new virus, experts do not know the exact number of people who will need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.

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