Debate not required on vaccine superiority

Around the same time last year, people around the world were eagerly awaiting the Covid-19 vaccine.

The media was inundated with early news, telling us about vaccines being tested in different countries, so much so that we have all become experts in clinical trials – well-focused on the stages of vaccine research. .

We were discussing which vaccine would be available first and so on.

A year later, things have changed dramatically.

Not one or two, but more than half a dozen Covid-19 vaccines are now available around the world with more in the pipeline. The vaccine scenario has changed and so has the challenge.

The challenge now is to ensure equal vaccine rights for all citizens of the world. The rich and powerful countries have not only provided more than enough vaccines for their people, they are also using jabs to expand their global influence.

A stark contrast to this scenario is the situation in Bangladesh.

We started early and, despite a hiccup, we are doing well, given that we are one of the few countries in the world to embark on mass vaccination programs against Covid-19 without national vaccine production.

We have four different types of Covid-19 vaccines underway in Bangladesh. And like with us anyway, many have become experts with different opinions on vaccines, claiming that one is superior to the other.

The fact remains that none of these vaccines have been the subject of comparative clinical trials and therefore it is never possible to judge which is superior, and more importantly, which is the least. necessary.

AstraZeneca’s – produced at the Serum Institute of India – is a vaccine based on a modified adenovirus vector. This virus infects chimpanzees and produces flu-like illness, but it is harmless to humans.

It is modified in such a way that when encountered, our immune system considers it to be SARS-CoV-2 and produces antibodies.

The Chinese Sinopharm vaccine uses technology where the actual SARS-CoV-2 viruses are inactivated and inside humans, although they are unable to produce Covid-19, they produce protective antibodies.

Those from Pfizer and Moderna use the latest and most advanced mRNA technology, where there are no viruses. These are chemicals that, when injected into humans, instruct our immune system to make protective antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

All of the above vaccines have been shown to be safe for human use and the benefits they confer outweigh the minimal side effects they can cause thousands of miles away.

You should therefore not waste your time choosing between vaccines and instead opt for the one that is proposed, because all vaccines protect.

The author is Head of the Division of Interventional Hepatology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and a member of the WHO-SEAR Strategic and Technical Advisory Group.