-By Ibrahim Suleiman, PhD
Vaccines are perhaps the best hope for ending the COVID-19 pandemic. But as relevant agencies begin to authorize the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, numerous questions, concerns, and even controversies surrounding the safety and mechanisms of action of the vaccine are arising. This article tries to address numerous questions you may have regarding the vaccine’s safety and beyond.
What are the benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19?
COVID-19 may be accompanied by severe medical complications and could likely lead to death. After getting infected by the virus, you are likely to spread the virus to family, friends and others around you. Getting vaccinated can help protect you against COVID-19, or might keep you from becoming seriously ill or from developing serious complications. Getting vaccinated may help protect people around you from getting infected by SARS-CoV-2.
What COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use?
The relevant regulatory body has reviewed the results of some COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials and have issued emergency use authorization based on safety and efficacy data provided by the companies. Most familiar ones among the approved vaccines include the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.
How many doses of the vaccine should one have?
Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are two-dose vaccines. Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine starts working soon after the first dose and showed an efficacy rate of 95% at seven days after the second dose. The two doses are 21 days apart. While the two doses of Moderna vaccine are 28 days apart. No data are available to address how long you will remain protected against COVID-19.
What’s in the Covid vaccines?
Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine (and Moderna’s) uses bits of genetic code to cause an immune response and genetic material contained is messenger RNA (mRNA) (not DNA as it is widely spread in some social media platforms). mRNA does not alter human cells but merely presents the body with instructions to build a specific type of protein that will boost immunity against COVID-19.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine uses a harmless virus altered to look a lot more like the pandemic virus. Vaccines sometimes contain other ingredients, like aluminium, that make the vaccine stable or more effective.
Do mRNA vaccines change genes?
No. The mRNA in Moderna and Pfizer vaccines primes the immune system. After translating the information contained on the mRNA, the molecule is eventually destroyed by the cell. Coronaviruses have a spike-like structure on their surface called an S-protein. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give cells instructions to synthesise a harmless piece of an S protein (resembling what is obtainable on SARS-CoV-2). After vaccination, cells begin making the protein pieces and displaying them on cell surfaces. Your immune system will recognize that the protein as a foreign matter and begin building an immune response and making antibodies that will act against S-protein on coronaviruses. The mRNA do not integrate itself onto your DNA structure (your gene), as it enters your cell it acts within the cell environment to produce the targeted proteins, after which it degrades. The mRNA molecules our cells make can only survive a matter of minutes. The mRNA in vaccines is engineered to withstand the cell’s enzymes a bit longer so that the cells can make extra virus proteins and prompt a stronger immune response. But the mRNA can only last for a few days at most before they are destroyed.
Can I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have a history of allergic reactions?
Allergic reactions to vaccines are rare. No serious adverse reactions were recorded during the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine trial. Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (UK’s Medicine regulatory agency, i.e Like Nigeria’s NAFDAC) advised that people with a history of significant allergic reactions should not currently have the Pfizer vaccine. While according to CDC, you are advised to stay away only from specific vaccines containing ingredients that you’ve ever had an immediate allergic reaction from.
On a general note, if you have a history of severe allergic reactions not related to vaccines or injectable medications, you may still get a COVID-19 vaccine. Just ensure you are monitored for at least 30 minutes after getting the vaccine. If you’ve had an immediate allergic reaction to any other vaccine or injectable medications, discuss with your doctor before going for COVID-19 vaccine. Also, people who are allergic to polysorbate should not get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, if you have an immediate allergic reaction after getting the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, don’t get the second dose.
Can pregnant or breastfeeding women get the COVID-19 vaccine?
There is no research on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant or breastfeeding women. However, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and at high risk of contracting COVID-19, ensure you discuss the risks and benefit with your healthcare provider before choosing to get the vaccine.
Is there anyone who should not get a COVID-19 vaccine?
There is no COVID-19 vaccine yet for children under age 16. Currently available vaccines were only tested in people over the age of 16 (e.g. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine) or those over the age of 18 years (e.g. Moderna vaccine). Several companies have begun enrolling children as young as age 12 in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Preparations have gone far for studies including younger children. Do note that COVID-19 vaccination might not be recommended for people with certain health conditions. This may be the reason for the suspected vaccine-related deaths of older people with underlying health conditions as reported in Norway. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about getting the vaccine.
Can a COVID-19 vaccine give you COVID-19?
No. The COVID-19 vaccines currently being approved don’t use the live virus that causes COVID-19. Keep in mind that it will take a few weeks for your body to build immunity after getting a COVID-19 vaccination. As a result, it’s possible that you could become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or after being vaccinated.
What if I’ve already had COVID-19?
Getting COVID-19 might offer some natural protection from reinfection with the virus. But it’s not clear how long this protection lasts. Reinfection is possible and severe medical complications may occur, it is therefore recommended that previously infected people get a COVID-19 vaccine. The guidance says there are no safety concerns about giving the jabs to people with “long” Covid either. But people who are currently unwell with Covid-19 should not receive the vaccine until they have recovered. If you’ve had COVID-19, you might delay vaccination until 90 days after your diagnosis because reinfection is uncommon within this period.
Will the vaccine hurt?
COVID-19 vaccines are not any different from the vaccines you’ve had before. It is commonly delivered as a shot in the arm. You may experience short-lived discomfort, including aches and flu-like symptoms that typically last a day. You may need to plan to take a day off work or school after the shots. While these experiences aren’t pleasant, they are a good sign: they are the result of your own immune system encountering the vaccine and mounting a potent response that will provide long-lasting immunity. Some of these responses (mild side effects) may present themselves as pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills or joint pain.
On a general note, ensure you are monitored for 15 minutes after getting a COVID-19 vaccine to see if you have any immediate reaction. Most side effects happen within the first three days after vaccination and typically last only one to two days. The COVID-19 vaccine may present side effects resembling the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. If you’ve been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and your symptoms persist for more than two to three days after getting vaccinated, self-isolate and get tested.
How animal-friendly are vaccines and do they contain alcohol?
Some vaccines, such as the shingles vaccine and the children’s nasal flu vaccine, can contain pork gelatine. The Covid vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca do not contain pork gelatine, nor do they contain any other animal products. The amount of alcohol in the vaccines is negligible- no more than what is obtainable in bread.
Can I stop taking safety precautions after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
Experts want to learn more about the protection that a COVID-19 vaccine provides and how long immunity lasts. It is therefore recommended to adhere to all safety precautions even after getting vaccinated. In addition, we don’t have information on whether vaccinated people could still spread the coronavirus without developing symptoms. That remains a possibility. We know that asymptomatic people can spread the virus. It will be better if vaccinated people think of themselves as possible spreaders.
When Can I return to normal life after being vaccinated?
Life will return to normal only when society as a whole gain enough protection against the coronavirus. Only a few percent of us will be vaccinated this year. The unvaccinated majority will still remain vulnerable to getting infected. A growing number of coronavirus vaccines are showing robust protection against becoming sick. But it’s also possible for people to spread the virus without even knowing they’re infected because they experience only mild symptoms or none at all. Scientists don’t yet know if the vaccines also block the transmission of the coronavirus.
Ibrahim Suleiman Ph.D. is a University lecturer and a researcher. A specialist in the field of Pulmonary and Molecular Physiology