Getting the Jab!
With Coronavirus effectively shutting down 2020, it is not surprising that everyone is ready for the pandemic to be over. Luckily, we are one step closer to the end of the pandemic with the rollout of two vaccines that tout 90-95% protection against coronavirus. These two vaccines are created by Moderna and a partnership between Pfizer and BioNTech.
Both vaccines use mRNA to teach our cells how to produce S proteins of the SARS-COV-2 virus. The S, or spike, protein is a harmless part of the coronavirus that will not cause infection; instead, it teaches our cells to produce this protein which then teaches our immune systems how to fight off the virus. This is the first time mRNA technology has been used to create a vaccine.
How did we get a safe and effective vaccine so quickly?
Scientists were able to create a vaccine in only a year due to many different factors according to an article on Medical News Today. Coronavirus is not a new family of viruses. Scientists have been studying it for years, and, in fact, hundreds of types of coronaviruses exist, although they vary in levels of virility. Some cause no problems while others cause cold and flu-like symptoms. Coronavirus was also the cause of the SARS epidemic in 2002. The vaccine was also developed so quickly due to a worldwide collaboration effort. Scientists were able to uncover the genome of the coronavirus within 10 days of the first reported cases in Wuhan. Knowing the viral sequencing gave scientists a good start that was then amplified by over $8 billion dollars invested in research and development for vaccines.
What should I expect from the vaccine?
Both vaccines have webpages on the FDA website that contain resources and fact sheets that share what can be expected. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine information can be found here. The Moderna Vaccine information can be found here. Both vaccines will require two doses that are spaced roughly a month apart; receiving both doses is imperative for the vaccination to work. The vaccines may cause tenderness and swelling at the injection site, but this should go away after a few days. After taking the vaccine you may experience some light flu-like symptoms including: tiredness, headache, muscle pain, fever, nausea, joint pain, and vomiting. If you experience any side-effects you can report them directly at the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The CDC has also created a smartphone app called V-safe to ensure vaccine safety, and you can learn more about V-safe here.
When will I receive the vaccine?
The first people to get the vaccine will be health-care workers and high-risk individuals that live in care homes, but it becomes more unclear after this first group. According to an article in LA Times, the second group will include essential workers, but lawmakers have not explicitly stated who is in this group. The third group is to include high-risk individuals such as seniors and those with chronic conditions. The final group will include the public by spring at the earliest, and perhaps rolling into the summer of 2021.
Author: Bret Reynolds, OEM Exchange
Published: December 23, 2020
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