COVID-19 Vaccine - The Basics You Need to Know
By Mallika Shah
Introduction to the vaccines
Researchers just broke through with two COVID-19 vaccines that have entered Phase 3 - the trial phase in the US. One vaccine was developed by Pfizer & BioNTech and the other by Moderna. Both vaccines administer two shots to the upper arm and in total have been given to just over 1 million Americans. Read on to find out the specifics of the vaccine!
What hesitation does the public have?
Given COVID-19’s deadly and recent history, it’s natural to have some fears about the nature of the vaccine. When it arrived to the United States in late January, its severity was relatively unknown. In just a few weeks, it became the talk of households, and soon cleaning supplies, mask mandates, and stay-home policies were enacted. Just as change was difficult to accept when COVID-19 first hit, a rapid new facet to this pandemic can be just as difficult to get used to. There are worries regarding the production of this vaccine - it has been distributed in less than one year. Some have heard about the side-effects and wonder about how our body is reacting to this vaccine. These are all valid concerns, but let’s now look at how researchers are prioritizing our health and safety.
How are researchers ensuring our safety?
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) holds the main responsibility in releasing the vaccines to the trial stage. Not only were the vaccines tested through many protocols set by health and safety regulations, but the FDA holds rigorous standards through the trial stage that the vaccines must pass through. The FDA assures the public that they wouldn’t release a vaccine if it didn’t pass their strict guidelines. Not only did the vaccine have to pass certain guidelines to get to the trial stage, but the FDA continues to conduct various check-ins that test the accuracy of the vaccine.
There is another aspect to the security of the vaccine: a tool known as v-safe. This is a smartphone-based tool that uses texts as a way for you to communicate with CDC. They provide messages and surveys that act as personalized check-ins once you receive the vaccination. Through v-safe, you can quickly contact the CDC with questions or let them know what side-effects you are experiencing. The tool will also remind you when you need to go back into the clinic to receive your second shot.
What are the common side-effects?
Here are a few of the common side-effects experienced by patients who have received the vaccine.
On the arm you receive the shot: swelling or discomfort
Overall body: fever, chills, tiredness, headache
However, just keep in mind that side-effects aren’t only COVID-19-specific. The common flu vaccine often gives us symptoms as well, ranging from a light cold to a small fever. This is natural. A vaccine in its nature contains part of the actual virus in some form (either a portion of a protein or a watered-down version of the virus), so it's not uncommon to experience symptoms. In fact, the COVID-19 vaccines have changed their structure by creating a vaccine that prompts our bodies to make a protein that will fight the virus, and doesn’t contain any part of the virus itself, thus limiting the potential side-effects.
Ultimately, it comes down to one question. Would you rather experience a few days of an uncomfortable headache or be in the hospital with an oxygen mask seeing your family over a screen?
What can you do?
The best thing you can do is get educated about the nature of the vaccine, and research how it affects your life and community. Congratulations on the first step! This blog is a great way to get yourself acquainted with the basics of the vaccine. Now, you can start looking at specifics regarding the virus and vaccine through the official CDC or FDA websites.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html