As of Monday, all Michigan residents aged 16 and over will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
But many are skeptical about coronavirus vaccines, especially since it was developed in record time.
How to Find a COVID-19 Vaccination Consultation in Michigan
Below is a closer look at the vaccine, what we know and what we don’t know.
Myth: the vaccine will provide COVID-19.
Fact that: None of the vaccines used in the U.S. involve injection of the virus itself, and it is impossible to obtain COVID-19 from any of the three vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
It is true that, historically, vaccines have produced an immune response by injecting weakened living cells or dead cells from the virus into an individual.
But two of the vaccines approved so far – the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines – use a revolutionary new process. These mRNA vaccines cause our cells to produce a protein that triggers the production of antibodies that protect us from COVID-19 infection.
“So, essentially, it tricks your body into creating a small part of the virus, and then your body creates antibodies to that small part,” Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Health West Michigan, a division of Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, told MLive in December. “It is incredible and very different from all the vaccines that we used before. In fact, it is much more elegant and makes a lot of sense.
“This is the first time that you have used your own body machine to make these parts,” said Elmouchi. “The reason this is so effective is that your body will make many of these pieces – and the more exposure to those pieces that are not dangerous for you, the more antibodies you will make. That is why we are achieving 95% effectiveness rates.
He and others said that scientists have been working on this technique for a decade, but this is the first time it has been used for a vaccine.
The Johnson & Johnson photo uses a different technique. It also employs a genetic code to stimulate an immune response, but this vaccine distributes it through a common cold virus called adenovirus 26, which is genetically modified. (The cold virus is modified so that it does not cool people and does not spread throughout the body.)
Myth: the vaccine was developed too quickly to trust your safety.
Fact that: The truncated schedule for developing the vaccine involved bureaucratic and manufacturing processes, doctors say.
In fact, COVID-19 has gone through the same safety process as other vaccines, and use in the real world in recent months has proven that vaccines are safe and effective.
So, why did they manage to develop vaccines so fast?
To begin with, scientists developed the virus’s genetic code almost immediately. It was available in February 2020.
Second, the high number of COVID cases in the summer and fall meant that clinical trials were faster than expected, because people in the placebo group fell ill faster than expected.
“Remember, the trial has to prove that people who get the vaccine don’t get the disease and that people who get the placebo get it,” Elmouchi told MLive in December. “Well, when you have so many diseases, you can prove that much more quickly.”
In addition, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson began making the vaccine while it was still FDA approved, with the understanding that doses would have to be discarded if the vaccine was not approved. This meant that vaccine distribution could begin as soon as each vaccine is approved by the FDA.
Myth: the vaccine will alter your DNA.
Fact that: Is not true.
“Vaccine mRNA does not integrate with the body’s DNA, nor does it enter the nucleus. MRNA vaccines cause cells in the body to create the peak proteins used by the coronavirus to infect healthy cells, but not the coronavirus itself. This is what triggers an immune response, training your body to defend itself against the virus ”, says a McLaren Flint Hospital newsletter.
Myth: The different vaccines vary in effectiveness.
Fact that: Clinical trials found a 95% efficacy rate for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines compared to 67% for the J&J injection.
However, experts say it is an apples-to-oranges comparison because J&J conducted its clinical tests later than the other two, when variants of COVID-19 were emerging. And among the countries where J&J tested its vaccine are South Africa and Brazil, which have particularly problematic variants.
In addition, clinical tests showed that the J&J injection was comparable to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in preventing severe coronavirus cases that could lead to hospitalization or death. The lowest percentage for J&J was in relation to symptomatic disease, including the most common mild cases.
The J&J injection has an advantage over the other two because it is just an injection, which is more convenient for professionals and patients. It also means that individuals who receive the J&J injection are completely immune in two weeks, compared to the five or six week process for the other two vaccines.
Myth: the vaccine has dangerous side effects.
Fact that: Vaccines can have some side effects such as headache, fatigue and / or fever, especially after the second dose. But these symptoms tend to go away after 24 hours and are a sign that the vaccine is adequately stimulating an immune response.
There are some isolated cases of people who have a severe reaction to the vaccine, and these individuals are typically people with a history of serious allergic reactions. Individuals with a history of reaction to immunizations should consult their physician before being vaccinated.
But overall, the health risks of contracting coronavirus are “astronomically greater” than those associated with vaccines, said Dr. Liam Sullivan, an infectious disease specialist at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids.
Consider this: last month, 1.3 million Michigan residents were vaccinated against 85,000 who contracted the coronavirus. The 2,600 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19 and the 558 deaths reported since March 1 are due to the latter, not the former.
And even people who are not hospitalized are at risk of a “long” COVID case. It is estimated that 10% to 30% of patients with coronavirus have persistent symptoms that last for weeks or months.
Myth: People who have had coronavirus do not need to be vaccinated.
Fact that. False.
Having COVID-19 creates natural immunity, but experts still don’t know exactly how long that natural immunity lasts.
There have been many recorded cases of people who have been infected with COVID-19 more than once, and this is particularly true with respect to the variant strains that are now circulating.
Federal Centers for Disease Control strongly recommend vaccines for those who have recovered from COVID-19.
Myth: once you are vaccinated, you do not need a mask.
Fact that: It takes time for the vaccine to take effect, and even after that, there will be times when you will need to continue wearing a mask.
Total immunity occurs about two weeks after your final dose. This is a six-week process for the Modern injection, a five-week process for the Pfizer vaccine and two weeks after the single J&J injection.
Even when you are considered totally immune, know that the vaccine is for risk reduction, not risk elimination.
This means that your chances of contracting or transmitting COVID are significantly reduced, and even if you are infected, the vaccine substantially reduces your chance of having a serious case. That said, the risk is not zero.
Therefore, when you are completely immune, you can go without a mask if you are with other people who are also vaccinated or at low risk of serious illness, because they are healthy and are under 65 years of age. However, you should continue to wear a mask when you are in a public place with strangers or at a private event where you do not know the health status of everyone in the room.
Myth: the vaccine causes miscarriages and / or infertility.
Fact that: There are no studies that show this.
To date, there is no data to show that vaccines pose a danger to pregnant women. That said, safety data is limited and continuous for that specific population.
An argument for vaccination, especially considering the high rates of coronavirus transmission in the Michigan rate now: pregnant women are at a higher risk of serious illness due to COVID-19 compared to non-pregnant women. This serious illness can result in hospitalization in intensive care, mechanical ventilation or death. In addition, pregnant women with COVID-19 may be at higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as premature birth, compared with pregnant women without COVID-19, the research suggests.
In addition, pregnant or lactating mothers vaccinated against COVID-19 can transfer antibodies to their children, according to a recent study published by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The CDC suggests that pregnant women talk to their doctor when weighing the pros and cons of vaccination.
Myth: You will need to receive a COVID-19 backup every year.
Fact that: It might be. But we still don’t know.
Perhaps the biggest question mark around vaccines: how long will immunity last?
That will take time to say, experts say. Some vaccines offer lifelong immunity, but booster injections are more often needed, and people may need to be vaccinated regularly against the coronavirus.
It is also possible that reinforcement shots are needed to protect against variants.
Myth: An individual’s decision to be vaccinated does not affect others.
Fact that: Vaccination protects not only the individual, but also the people around him. People who decide not to be vaccinated will still be able to transmit the virus and there is still a chance of infecting a vaccinated friend or relative.
In addition, the quickest and most effective way of obtaining collective immunity and ending the pandemic is for the largest number of people to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
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