Women’s Day
Once a distant dream, the coronavirus vaccine is now a reality. More than 10% of American adults have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and that number is expected to increase rapidly as the implantation begins to operate at high speed.
President Joe Biden said at a news conference on March 2 that the United States will have sufficient doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for every adult in America by the end of May. “This is progress,” he told CNN. “We must remain vigilant, act quickly and aggressively and take care of each other. This is how we are going to overcome this virus, make our economy work again and get back to our loved ones. “
There are three COVID-19 vaccines that have received FDA authorization based on clinical trials: the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
The distribution of vaccines differs between states, so your place in the queue may look slightly different compared to someone else across the country. But depending on where you live, you may be able to receive your dose soon.
Therefore, it is completely understandable to have questions about how vaccines work, what kind of potential side effects they may have, and why it is important to get one when you become eligible, so that you feel fully informed when it is your turn to get vaccinated. Here is everything you should know.
First, what’s in the COVID-19 vaccines?
It depends on the vaccine. For example, the respective mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna contain similar ingredients that are packaged slightly differently, says infectious disease specialist Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Vaccines contain ingredients such as preservatives (to prevent contamination), adjuvants such as aluminum salts (to help boost the body’s response to the vaccine) and stabilizers such as sugar or gelatin (to keep the vaccine effective after it is made), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“A vaccine must contain materials to ensure it is stable and can actually work,” says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “No vaccine is purely the antigen,” he adds, which is any substance that causes your immune system to make antibodies against it.
How do COVID-19 vaccines work?
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA), a new technology that encodes a part of the spike protein gene in SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus. This is the part of the virus that clings to human cells. MRNA vaccines do no inject live or inactive virus into your body, but use pieces of genetic material from SARS-CoV-2.
Basically, your cells are instructed to develop a piece of the spike protein (the antigen), according to the CDC. This triggers an immune response and you develop antibodies unique to SARS-CoV-2. Your body eliminates protein and mRNA, but these antibodies remain to help protect you from future COVID-19 infections. (It is also important to note that mRNA does not alter your DNA, according to the CDC.)
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a viral vector vaccine, which means that it uses a different, inactivated virus to deliver instructions in the form of a gene to its cells, explains the CDC. For this vaccine, a modified adenovirus (a common cold virus that cannot reproduce in the body or cause disease) provides a gene that also instructs your cells to produce a piece of the coronavirus spike protein. This triggers the production of these antibodies that fight infection, so your immune system remembers how to respond to the peak protein if you become infected in the future.
What are the potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?
It is important to remember that you will be informed about side effects before receiving the first dose of the vaccine, says Dr. Schaffner. Since the vaccine was offered to healthcare professionals in the first place, your doctor can offer you information based on your personal experience, as well as on newly released data.
What the experts have learned so far is promising. Data from animal and human tests show that vaccines have a “favorable safety profile,” says Dr. Adalja. In addition, it is important to remember that these are potential side effects – meaning you may not experience any.
Each vaccine is slightly different, but in general, experts say it is possible to have the following side effects with any of the COVID-19 vaccines:
“This is similar to what you would expect with the flu vaccine,” says Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University of Buffalo in New York. “[The side effects] they usually only last a day or more. They are not serious or worrying. ”For example, the flu vaccine can also cause pain in the arm, swelling at the injection site, low-grade fever and other flu-like symptoms.
The vaccine’s side effects “basically show that the immune system is being primed,” says Richard Watkins, MD, an infectious disease and professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Remember that your body is learning to create a response to SARS-CoV-2, so this can lead to short-term symptoms.
It is also important to note that the second dose can cause more side effects than the first dose if you receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, says Dr. Schaffner.
How common are the potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?
Moderna shared in mid-November that the following side effects were the most common among patients in her trial:
Pfizer shared that the following side effects happened in some patients:
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fatigue (3.8%)
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headache (2%)
The FDA claims that patients experienced these side effects with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but did not specify how often they occurred:
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injection site pain
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redness at the injection site
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swelling at the injection site
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headache
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fatigue
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muscle aches
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nausea
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fever
In addition to redness and swelling around the injection site shortly after vaccination, a small number of people also experience a delayed rash with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. This can occur seven to 10 days after the person receives their dose (usually the second dose). Although it can be irritating due to redness, swelling or itching, experts say it disappears on its own and disappears a few days after it appears.
What about long-term side effects?
Even if the COVID-19 vaccines have undergone thorough testing, the results of which have been closely evaluated by the FDA and the CDC, it will take time for medical experts to gather data on potential long-term side effects. Dr. Russo notes that vaccine manufacturers, like the FDA, will continue to gather detailed data as vaccines continue to be released to the general public.
How to tell the difference between vaccine side effects and actual coronavirus symptoms
Just as the flu vaccine cannot cause the flu, The The COVID-19 vaccine will no give you COVID-19. However, there is still a chance that you will become infected with COVID-19 soon after (or before) you were vaccinated. The risk is greatly reduced afterwards, but only after your body has time to develop strong immunity to the virus, which can take a few weeks.
If you are infected, “the symptoms may be indistinguishable, with the exception of shortness of breath, which should not occur after the vaccine,” says Dr. Adalja. “Loss of taste and smell is also not something you experience after the vaccine.”
Any side effects that follow your immunization usually only last for a day or two, while the true symptoms of COVID-19 persist longer. If you have mild symptoms that last two to three days after vaccination (for any authorized vaccine) or occur between doses of the vaccine (for Pfizer or Moderna), call your doctor for guidance.
Should I be concerned about allergic reactions?
If you have a history of a severe allergic reaction to any of the ingredients of a specific vaccine or a history of a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine or injectable therapy, ask your doctor if you should get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Although severe allergic reactions to the vaccine can occur, they are rare. A January report from the CDC found that the risk of developing a serious allergic reaction after the vaccine is 0.001%, based on data available so far. Typically, allergic reactions happen within 10 to 15 minutes after receiving your dose, based on the data we have from the mRNA vaccines, says Dr. Adalja. That is why the CDC recommends staying for 15 minutes after vaccination if you have no history of allergies and 30 minutes if you have.
It is possible to develop symptoms later, such as a red rash around the injection site. If you are uncomfortable or concerned in any way with a reaction, Dr. Watkins recommends calling your doctor. If you develop symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as facial swelling or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately.
Why is it important to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Getting the vaccine has several benefits, says Dr. Adalja. The big? We can safely establish community immunity, so that you, your loved ones and those who are most vulnerable can be protected from the virus if an immunization limit is reached. Vaccination, above all, offers protection against serious complications of the virus if the person becomes ill, avoiding the risk of hospitalization or death.
It is a difficult task, as experts estimate that about 70% of people in the U.S. (200 million) need to be vaccinated to achieve this level of protection specifically for COVID-19. But with the approval of a third vaccine and a continued release, the United States is finally starting to see a drop in confirmed coronavirus infections. Until then, continue to follow the recommended prevention guidelines of COVID-19, such as wearing a mask, walking away and washing your hands frequently.
This article is correct at the time of publication. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves rapidly and the scientific community’s understanding of the new coronavirus develops, some of the information may have changed since the last update. While our goal is to keep all of our stories up to date, visit the online resources provided by CDC, WHOit’s yours local department of public health to stay informed about the latest news. Always speak to your doctor for professional medical advice.
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