COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaccines & their Importance

Vaccines is a simple, safe, and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases. They are tools helping us fight off foreign invaders in our body, that cause it to break down.

Vaccines are important to not only prevent the spread of deadly diseases like COVID-19 but also strengthen our bodies and improve our immunity. Moreover, vaccines are crucial for the normal functioning of the human body and in a way also ensure the survival of our race.

Due to enormous burdens of morbidity and morality as well as the large scale disruption of societies caused due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, governments are gearing up to ensure large scale equitable access and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Understandable, one might have many questoons associated with vaccines, their importace, safety etc. Let us answer some of the most common questions one might have regarding the same.

How does it work?

Vaccinations work on a simple principle of strengthening Pur immunological response against various diseases. To prevent COVID-19, the respective vaccine builds one’s body’s natural defences; in order to provide protection.

In conclusion, vaccines enable our body to recognise the invaders (germs, bacteria, virus etc) and then produce antibodies to fight the disease/virus. They also help our immune system to remember the disease. Therefore, in case our body is exposed to it again, it can be quickly destroyed before affecting our health and well-being, as the body remembers it and immediately activates the antibodies.

Can the vaccine produced, contain the current pandemic?

Vaccinations against the COVID-19 will help us achieve two things - firstly, it will bring down mortality, and secondly, it will reduce the number of cases. The very purpose of a vaccine is to contain the spread of a particular disease, virus, epidemic or pandemic.

Vaccines help in building our immunity; thereby, providing our bodies a fighting chance against the Coronavirus (in this case). Hence, vaccines are built specifically to bring down the ability of a disease to spread and infect our body. Therefore, allowing large groups of individuals to acquire herd immunity.

Is the vaccine (COVID-19) safe?

Despite having certain side effects like body aches, mild fever, nausea and swelling, the vaccine that we are using is actually safe and efficacious, for all age groups and different types of people. In fact, the onset of such symptoms is the biggest indicator that the vaccine is working and is invoking an immune response in the body.

Dr. Randeep Guleria (Director of AIIMS - Delhi) has said that from the data across the world, we can confidently say that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine are far more than the perceived risks. He also mentioned that the vaccine is important if we want to get back to normal.

Therefore, the vaccine is safe!

On what basis was the vaccine (COVID-19) approved?

Extensive trials have been conducted in multiple phases to ensure that the vaccine being produced was safe and did not lead to any unusual side effects that might harm the health and well-being of an individual.

Before approval, the vaccine had to successfully pass a set of critera, namely - safety, efficacy, feasibility, cost, maintenance, storage, mode of transmission etc. It was only after multiple phases of strenuous and prudent trials and after fulfilling the aboove mentioned criterias, that the vaccine was approved.

How long does the vaccine provide immunity for?

Preliminary data suggests that the immunity provided by the vaccines used will last approximately 6 months for sure and may even last upto 1-2 years. The vaccine has shown to have an efficacy of about 90-95%.

When compared to previous vaccines, like the one for Influenza, the current vaccine provides protection against multiple strains of the virus. Hence, showing that even though the vaccine we are getting now is good, we may and are actually likely to get better ones in the future.

What precautions must one take before and after the vaccination?

At the individual level, it is important for people to strictly follow all COVID-19 precautions and guidelines. Some important rules are social distancing, wearing masks, cleaning hands frequently, ensuring good ventilation, avoiding crowded places, coughing into your elbows, covering your nose while sneezing etc. Here it is important to note that everyone must continue to follow these guidelines even after getting the first and second doses of the vaccine. As even though the vaccine will prevent serious illness and death, we still do not know the exact extent to which it may prevent one from passing the virus to other people.

Since misinformation spreading through multiple channels may have a considerable effect on the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, it is important for us to educate ourselves as well as others. Therefore, we must prevent the spread of false information/news and contribute towards the overall welfare of the society.

✏️: @tarini_puri & @ishani_jaiswal

🎨: @tarini_puri