The development of the primarily COVID19 vaccine is great news in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. An operational vaccine for Corona will help protect people who made contact with the deadly virus from getting sick. Several individuals are vaccinated as of now. It is assumed that people will eventually get back to their usual routine on the individual level and as communities.
Though this brings doubts with the relief as well. Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe or not is among the top asked questions at present. If you are curious about this too, read this webpage to the end. This blog includes answers to the questions you may have regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
How Safe is the Corona Vaccine? What are the Facts on its Safety?
The nation’s vaccine welfare system plays a huge role in keeping all the vaccines as safe as it is physically possible. There is no doubt that safety with COVID19 vaccine is the highest priority for the creators and distributors. This is the main concern of federal agencies working with vaccine manufacturers for developing and authorizing a COVID-19 medication. Given below are some major processing areas which are included in the COVID-19 vaccine progress, review and authorization:
Testing and Trails
All the vaccines that go for clinical trials are tested for their effectiveness and safety. The authorization bodies work together as a team for the experimentation and testing of COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has set rigorous standards when it comes to the Corona vaccine. The vaccine has to meet these standards for the development of pandemic medication.
National Institutes of Health recently released an infographic related to the same. It shows a vaccine must go through four phases before it can be considered righteous. Only after the tests are done and the medication passes, is it suitable to release among the public.
Emergency Use and its Authorization
The vaccines which meet the effectiveness and safety standards set by FDA are made available to private and public communities. But first, they have to be approved by the authority for emergency use. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, in India, has authorization power to allow the use of any particular vaccine. They provide the temporary authority for medication or a vaccine when there are emergencies, like the coronavirus outburst.
In India, the ‘accelerated approval processing’ is usually followed. In this process, whether the new drugs get approved or not depends on the clinical trials. However, accelerated approval can be given if there is a serious and immediate need for medication. But there is no sudden life-threatening condition, the efficiency of the drug is checked based on essential criteria.
Once the vaccine surpasses the standard criteria, it is approved to be marketed by the Central Licensing Authority. This gets done in Phase II of the clinical trial.
Constant Observation of Side Effects and Issues
When a vaccine is finally authorized for usage, the observation process still continues. The monitoring systems are placed for tracking problems and side effects. This is done to detect the issues that surpassed the clinical trials.
In the case of COVID, the CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) and the FDA are intensifying the vaccine monitoring. Most of the harmful COVID vaccine side effects are expected to be caught in this testing process. However, they are continuously identified in case the problems still exist and then addressed accordingly.
Are There any Health or Welfare Concerns Associated with the COVID-19 Vaccine?
As of now, no vaccine trials are reported with any serious health or welfare concerns. The clinical trials for first and second vaccines, namely Pfizer and Moderna, have been successful. Both of them had independent safety observation boards. The FDA and team of experts are studying the safety data continuously.
Allergic reactions
You might be wondering what about people with allergies of certain eatables, latex, and insects, etc. Would the COVID vaccine affect them adversely in any way? The CDC states that those with such common allergens would not be negatively affected because of that. The people who have a history of a serious allergic reaction to injectables (anaphylaxis) should discuss the vaccination to their doctor.
Same goes with other similar allergies. It is better to consult a doctor who is capable of evaluating the patient’s conditions and weigh the risk. As per the CDC, certain people are better off not receiving this vaccine. All who have severe allergies to any ingredients of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are advised to not take it as of now.
Why was the Development of COVID19 Vaccine Quick Comparatively?
In the previous time, it took several years to develop vaccines. On the contrary, this vaccine got developed quite quickly in comparison to before. But this does not say that protective actions were ignored. There are many reasons for the faster development of the COVID-19 vaccine than other ones. Here is the list:
- The kind of vaccine which is created for COVID-19 by Pfizer/BioNTech is not an absolutely new development. This vaccine has been in the development process for several years because of different infectious viruses. Hence, the manufacturing process got prepared very early when the pandemic outburst.
- The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus as we know is highly contagious and widely spread. A large number of volunteers who received the vaccine got exposed to this virus. Because of several exposures, the clinical trials took less time for examining if the vaccine is effective.
- China provided genetic information related to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus once it was available. This allowed developers to find a vaccine early.
- Governments provided the vaccine developers with money in advance. Therefore, the companies already had the resources they required.
- The test processes for coming up with vaccination did not skip any important steps. However, the developers categorised some stages in the process as the simultaneous level. This was helpful to gather the required data fast.
- Some COVID-19 vaccine types were developed with messenger RNA (mRNA). It is a new technology which allows a quicker approach in comparison to the traditional ways vaccines were found previously.
- Companies started manufacturing vaccines beforehand their approval or authorization. This helped in gathering supplies to prepare further if it gets authorised.
- Social media made it possible for companies to ask for enrolment of study volunteers. Fortunately, there were sufficient research participants for testing out the COVID-19 vaccines.
Do I Still Need to Wear a Mask and Follow Safety Precautions for COVID 19 Once I Receive the Vaccine?
The answer is yes, absolutely. Every person still has to follow the Corona safety precautions as of now. It is evaluated that vaccines would not be effective on 5 to 10 percent of the population. If you come under that percentage, you can catch the virus and spread it to others.
Studies and experiments are happening for observing whether the COVID-19 vaccine can overtake the preventive measures. If it is unsure whether the vaccine would halt the virus spread from the patients who took it. For now, it is advised to follow all safety guidelines to prevent Corona spread even if you receive the vaccine.
Are There Any COVID Vaccine Side Effects? If Yes, What?
Yes, there can be side effects. Vaccine developers state several side effects that can take place when you take it. They are – fever, fatigue, headaches, and muscle aches. These effects can last for one to two days. If these symptoms carry on, you should consult your doctor.
In case you have specific allergies, specifically ones that need you to have an EpiPen, talk about the COVID-19 vaccine to your doctor. It is recommended to consult a professional who can evaluate the risk and offer more information about it. They can also tell you the safe way to get vaccinated according to your health condition.
Is There a Chance to Get the Virus from the COVID Vaccine?
No. You would not get COVID-19 from its vaccine. The developed vaccine does not consist of any virus or such infectious material. They are made for your body to create copies of an innocuous piece of COVID virus. Therefore, you cannot catch the Coronavirus from the vaccine.
Some side effects like soreness due to injection and fever are reported. However, the reported side effects of the vaccine in trials are not as dangerous or severe as worsening of COVID-19.
The Bottom Line
You have to make the decision about getting a COVID-19 vaccine yourself. Vaccine developers and experts suggest consulting your primary doctor. To find out about measures of safety with COVID vaccine, review the online resources.
Doubting the medication without gathering information about it would not do any good. It is better to make an informed and unbiased decision to prevent any harm to your health. You can go through the above sections to have a better idea about the medication. However, the decision to receive the vaccine or not depends on you. The data and facts can help you in deciding for sure.