If your loved one is hesitant to get the Covid-19 vaccine, share this

If your loved one is hesitant to get the Covid-19 vaccine, share this

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To answer the questions your family and friends may have about the Covid-19 vaccine, we consulted two experts:

Medical experts, successful clinical trials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States have repeatedly assured us of the safety and effectiveness of the two Covid-19 vaccines available now, from Moderna and Pfizer.

But health experts also take their concerns seriously, said Schaffner.

“We have to take everyone’s hesitation and skepticism seriously,” he said. “This is a new virus in the human population, new vaccines using new technologies, so you understand that people are a little hesitant.”

If they say:
“I don’t know what’s in the vaccine.”

You can say: This is fair. Vaccine ingredient lists include many long names that only a chemist would recognize.

Here are some of the main ingredients of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the two vaccines currently authorized for use and how they work:
mRNA: An abbreviation for messenger ribonucleic acid, mRNA is “genetic software” that tells cells how to make the coronavirus peak protein, the structure the virus uses to invade cells. The mRNA catches the eye of your immune system, so it is prepared to attack the peak protein if an infection occurs. The mRNA disintegrates as soon as it retransmits your message, Schaffner said, and you excrete its remnants.

Fatty lipids: The mRNA is very fragile, so it is coated with a fatty lipid to protect it. Lipids, a buttery substance, can melt at room temperature – which is why the two vaccines must be kept at extremely low temperatures. Fatty lipids used in Covid-19 vaccines include polyethylene glycol-2000 and cholesterol, among others.

Salts and sugars: Salts like potassium chloride and sodium chloride are in the vaccine to balance the acidity in your body, according to the MIT Technology Review. Sugar, listed as sucrose, is there for the vaccine’s nanoparticles to maintain their shape.

Other vaccines still being tested in the United States, such as AstraZeneca, have different technologies than mRNA and, therefore, have different ingredients.

The Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer must be kept at extremely low temperatures to prevent the fatty lipids from the vaccine from melting.

If they say:
“The vaccine was created very quickly to be reliable.”

You can say: It is true that Covid-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration were developed and tested more quickly than other vaccines with which we are familiar. But extensive clinical trials have proven their effectiveness.

Part of the reason that vaccines were developed quickly is because circumstances called for speed: we are in a pandemic that has killed more than 2 million people worldwide and left more than 103 million sick. The need for a vaccine is urgent.
Here is a look at how the different coronavirus vaccines work

So instead of waiting for test results to make a vaccine, the companies that created these vaccines produced them simultaneously so they were ready to be deployed when the tests were completed, said Schaffner. Typically, companies that create vaccines would wait for a test to finish before giving the OK to manufacture the vaccines.

“Of course, our ‘bet’, if you want, has won,” said Schaffner. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 94 to 95% effective in preventing serious diseases caused by Covid-19.

The technology that vaccines use, mRNA, was developed long before the virus that causes Covid-19 to circulate in humans, so the technology can be trusted, Schaffner and Karron said.

Tests of the Covid-19 vaccine included tens of thousands of participants, said Karron, whose reactions to the vaccine were closely monitored for months before the vaccines were approved by the FDA.

Vaccine developers also had the resources to speed up the process – there was no question of demand or funding, said Karron.

If they say:
“The vaccine can give me Covid-19.”

You can say: The vaccine cannot provide Covid-19, said Schaffner, because it does not contain the virus. It contains mRNA, or messenger ribonucleic acid, that tells cells how to create the protein peak that the virus uses to infect other cells.

The live virus never enters your body during the vaccination process, said Karron – your cells learn to make a part of the virus, but the coronavirus cannot replicate itself that way.

You may experience some “intense but brief” symptoms, such as fatigue, nausea and low-grade fever after vaccination, she said. These are often synonymous with Covid-19, but these vaccine-induced side effects are expected to decrease within 24 to 48 hours, she said.

It is also possible that you will not experience side effects, said Karron, or they may be as mild as a headache and a sore arm. In any case, you will not get Covid-19 when you are vaccinated.

SEE MORE INFORMATION: Your questions about coronavirus, answered
Studies of the Covid-19 vaccine, like this one in Florida, have proven its effectiveness in preventing serious illnesses.

If they say:
“The vaccine can alter my DNA.”

You can say: Covid-19 vaccines do not alter or interact with your DNA.

The mRNA never enters the cell’s nucleus, which houses the DNA, Karron said. It does its job in the cytoplasm, the fluid within a cell.

The mRNA is also not in the body. It dissolves as soon as it sends a message to cells and leaves the body, Schaffner said.

If they say:
“The vaccine can cause autism or a birth defect in my son.”

You can say: This is not true. Several studies have repeatedly shown that vaccines do not cause autism or developmental problems in young children. This belief is based on a study of bunks in the 1990s, which has since been portrayed.

As stated above, the Covid-19 vaccine does not interfere with DNA.

Pregnant women should get the Covid-19 vaccine, US doctors say, despite conflicting international advice
If they are concerned about the risk of being vaccinated during pregnancy, it can allay their fears: the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recommended the Covid-19 vaccine for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
It is also advisable to get vaccinated, Schaffner said, because pregnant women are at an increased risk of contracting serious illnesses due to Covid-19. Compared with symptomatic people who are not pregnant, pregnant women are at increased risk of ICU admission, need for a ventilator and death, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
The risk of serious side effects after vaccination with Covid-19 is low, although people with severe allergies should consult their doctor before being vaccinated.

If they say:
“The side effects of the vaccine can be serious.”

You can say: You are unlikely to have a serious reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine. You are much more likely to have a “local reaction”, such as redness and pain in your arm or low fever, Schaffner said.

The side effects of the virus tend to be more severe after the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, Karron said, so it’s smart to plan for that. You may want to take a day off from work after getting the vaccine if you are very tired. The symptoms also tend to be more severe in young people than in older people who are vaccinated, she said.

“It’s a small price to pay to avoid Covid,” said Karron.

If they say:
“I could have an allergic reaction to the virus.”

You can say: This is possible, but very rare: about 11 cases per million cases of Covid-19 vaccinations resulted in an allergic reaction, said Karron.

People with severe allergies or people with EpiPen should consult their doctor before being vaccinated, she said, but even those with allergies took the vaccine without reaction.

CNN’s Sandee LaMotte and Maggie Fox contributed to this report.

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