All about Covid-19 vaccines, types, myths, and benefits
There are a lot of benefits pertaining to the Covid-19 vaccines. Some of them are as follows:
- Prevent yourself from contracting COVID-19, becoming extremely ill, or death from Covid-19
- End the chain of Covid-19 by spreading it to others.
- Increase the number of persons in the society who are immune to COVID-19, making the illness more difficult to spread which will break the viral chain and hence provide herd immunity.
- Since Covid-19 is a virus and a virus is dead when outside a living body, we can stop the spread of the virus by vaccinating ourselves which will eventually stop the virus from various deadly mutations.
We know that in these challenging times, the Covid-19 vaccine is the only way out. Mass vaccination is the only way through which the world can come out of the covid waves. There are various vaccines being used around the globe. Pfizer is at the top of the list of most-used vaccines in the world.
Pfizer-BioNTech
In persons aged 16 and above, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination is 95 percent effective in providing immunity against the COVID-19 virus from causing symptoms. In youngsters aged 12 to 15, the vaccination is 100 percent effective.
This vaccination is only for persons above the age of 12 years. It takes two doses which are injected at a difference of 21 days. In some cases, the second dose can be given nearly six weeks following the first.
Moderna
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccination protects and builds immunity against the COVID-19 virus with symptoms 94% of the time. This vaccination is only for persons above the age of 18. It also requires two-dose injections at a difference of 28 days. In some cases, the second dose can be given nearly six weeks following the first.
Janssen/Johnson & Johnson
The Janssen COVID-19 vaccination protects and builds immunity against the COVID-19 virus with symptoms 66% of the time. After at least 28 days of immunization, the vaccine was found to be 85 percent effective in preventing serious sickness caused by the COVID-19 virus in some cases. This vaccination is for persons above the age of 18. It only takes one injection.
Covishield COVID-19 vaccine
The interval between 1st and 2nd doses is 12-16 weeks. Efficacy after the second dose can vary from 70-90%. People above 18 years of age can opt for this vaccine
Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine
The interval between the 2 doses is 4-6 weeks. This vaccine can be 78-95% effective after the second dose. This vaccine can be injected into people above 18 years of age.
Sputnik V
This is created by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology in association with Dr. Reddy’s. This vaccine is 91.6 percent effective. The interval between the 2 doses is likely to be 21 days.
The importance of Covid-19 vaccines is very high but there is a lot of misinformation around their development. There are many myths about Covid-19 vaccines. Some of them are as follows:
Myth- Because it was created so swiftly, the COVID-19 vaccination is dangerous.
Fact- The vaccinations that have been approved have been demonstrated to be safe and effective. The vaccines had to clear all the procedures set by Food and drug administration. All the safety criteria were met while being developed at record speed.
There were no steps that were skipped in the whole process. Instead, the whole world worked together for the goal of developing effective vaccinations which were completed in very little time. Clinical studies and safety reviews were given at the same time as the other vaccines had taken in the past.
Myth- My DNA will be altered by the COVID-19 vaccination
Fact– first vaccinations approved for emergency use contain messenger RNA (mRNA), which tells cells to manufacture the new coronavirus’s “spike protein” Whenever the immune system of our body detects this protein, it starts producing antibodies, which instruct the body how to protect itself against infection in the future.
The mRNA never makes it into the nucleus of the cell, where our DNA (genetic material) is stored. The body disposes of the mRNA as soon as the instructions have been completed.
Myth- COVID-19 contains serious adverse effects, including allergic responses.
Fact– Some vaccination clinical trial participants reported adverse effects comparable to those seen with previous vaccinations, such as muscular discomfort, cold, and headache. People can also experience severe adverse responses to vaccination components, though this is exceedingly unusual.
That’s why specialists advise against getting the vaccine if you’ve had a history of severe allergic responses to the vaccine’s components, such as anaphylaxis.
Myth- In women, the COVID-19 vaccination induces infertility.
Fact– The fact is that the spike protein and a placental protein share an amino acid sequence; nevertheless, researchers claim it’s too short to cause an immune response and hence has no effect on fertility.
Myth- I don’t need the vaccination because I’ve already been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Fact– There’s evidence that you can still benefit from the COVID-19 vaccination if you’ve already got it. Experts are unsure how long someone will be prevented from becoming ill again after recovering from COVID-19.
Natural immunity, or immunity gained as a result of an illness, differs from person to person. Early research implies that innate immunity may be short-lived.
Myth- I won’t need to wear a mask once I’ve received the COVID-19 vaccination.
Fact– In public, masking, handwashing, and physical separation is still required until a significant proportion of individuals are immune. Persons who have been completely vaccinated do not need to wear masks when they meet with other completely vaccinated people.
In other words, it can be said that wearing masks and keeping a safe social distance from others can help lower the risk of becoming infected or spreading the virus, but these precautions are insufficient.
Vaccinations help your immune system prepare to combat the virus if you become infected. Research shows that the people who have been vaccinated completely are at a lower risk to get infected or even spreading the viral infection.
However, advanced research is in progress regarding the impact of vaccines. We know that to stop this deadly viral chain, we need to have some tool that stops the spread of this virus. Currently, the best tool available to us is mass vaccinations will build herd immunity and help us get out of this pandemic.
We know that now that COVID-19 vaccinations are available in various countries and some people may be hesitant to be vaccinated. Even though the new COVID-19 vaccines are created as rapidly as possible, standard protocols and procedures are still in place to guarantee that any vaccination that has been authorized for use by the general public is safe.
There are numerous reasons to be vaccinated, and safety is a major consideration. We should not doubt the vaccines in the market just because of some misinformation spreading around.
