In November of 2019, the world as we knew it changed for what has seemed like an eternity. But after about a year of caution, crisis, and social drought, amongst other things, vaccines have come to our rescue. In response to confusion about the effectiveness of vaccines and the spreading of misinformation about how they work, I have compiled this guide to break down all-things-Covid-19-Vaccine-related into this simple guide.
What Exactly do Vaccines do?
Vaccines are designed to protect our bodies by enabling them to recognize and trigger an immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19. There are 4 categories of vaccines in clinical trials at the moment and these include a whole virus, protein subunit, viral vector, and Nucleic Acid (RNA and DNA). These different categories represent the different means through which our immune response can act against a virus.
The Covid-19 Vaccines: How are They Different and How do They Work?
There are already three coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the UK –The Pfizer one, The Oxford and AstraZeneca one, and the Moderna one – and currently more than 200 being tested in other parts of the world like China, India, and Russia.
The Pfizer vaccine has been tested on 43500 people in six countries and, thus far, no safety concerns have been raised. The Pfizer Vaccine requires two doses and works by using the virus’s genetic code rather than any part of the virus itself. It is injected into the body where it enters cells and tells them to create antigens. Antigens are substances that cause an immune response in the body by identifying substances in or markers on cells.
Similarly, the Oxford Vaccine also requires two shots and has gone through trials across several counties; including the UK, South Africa, Brazil, and Kenya. This vaccine makes the body recognize and develop an immune response to the spike protein, the protein used by the virus to bind to receptors in human cells and gain entry, thus causing infection. By tackling the spike protein, the COVID-19 virus will essentially be barred from entering human cells, and will ultimately prevent infection.
Lastly, the Moderna vaccine has been approved by both the US and the UK and shows a 95 % chance of protection against the coronavirus. Like the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines, the Moderna vaccine uses a synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA, which is a genetic material that contains information about the spike protein) to produce a small amount of protein which leads to a protective antibody response when identified by the immune system.
Where and How Do We Get Them?
Across the globe, leaders and health officials concur that the vaccine will be distributed first to individuals with a high risk of exposure or severe illness – this means all healthcare workers and those with significant pre-existing health conditions. In the UK, an age-based vaccination system will then follow, with those aged 80 and above getting vaccinated first, and others to follow. To simplify matters further, the NHS has stated that they will contact people individually once it is their turn to be vaccinated and will provide full details of where they should go, what they need to do in order to receive the vaccine, and so on. The assumption is that a similar system will be adopted in other countries where the vaccine is also being rolled out.
With regards to who will be administering the vaccines, GPs and others will be given training to provide the vaccinations, such as retired doctors, pharmacists, district nurses, health visitors, and physiotherapists. There are also individuals outside of the NHS being recruited as vaccinators, such as firefighters and the unemployed who will be paid £11.20 an hour.
Additionally, it is highly unlikely that any individual in the UK will have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccination themselves, as the current commitment by most governments and companies is to deliver the vaccine according to clinical priority, and not affordability. Likewise, individuals will not be able to choose which vaccine they are given. Given that the priority everywhere is to vaccinate as many people as possible, you will likely be administered the vaccine that is available in your region or country at the time of your vaccination.
Side effects and issues
Unfortunately, storage concerns and questions about how long immunity will last hang in the atmosphere of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus. Some vaccines must be stored at very exact temperatures, for instance, the Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at -80°C, which could cause problems for transport and storage of the vaccine. However, this is an issue that can be handled via the necessary level of caution from the authorities administering the virus. Although data is currently unable to indicate how long immunity lasts, the vaccines have been created with the intention of long-lasting protection against COVID-19 and we should bear this in mind.
As is true of pretty much any vaccine, there are a number of reported side effects which include body sores and headaches. While there is of course no way to verify the long term side effects of the vaccines just yet, it is important to bear in mind that the companies, experts, and scientists responsible for creating the vaccine have slaved away to create and test them in adherence to strict guidelines set by medical authorities.
Ultimately, I would advise anyone with any qualms about the virus to consider: are the benefits of getting vaccinated greater than the costs of not getting vaccinated? If we all do our part and get vaccinated, we might just be saving a life and if we do not, we will undoubtedly be putting one at risk. From such a perspective, the choice should be obvious.
Moreover, we are not yet free from the shackles of coronavirus, but the light at the end of the tunnel seems a lot closer and brighter than it was at this time last year. Although uncertainty around the vaccines lingers, it is important to understand the basic premise that getting vaccinated will prevent further spreading, protect us from even more dangerous mutations, and could provide a hopeful end to our lockdown days.