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As the novel coronavirus pandemic hit last winter, everyone had many questions and concerns: “How long will this last?” “Am I going to get sick?” “When will we have a vaccine?”
Now that the coronavirus vaccines are here, everyone has more questions: “Are they safe?” “Are they going to make me sick?” “How long will it last?”
To answer your questions, we brought in infectious disease researcher S. Wesley Long, MD, Ph.D., clinical pathologist and microbiologist and at Houston Methodist, who has researched COVID-19 and the various New Strains and Sports Physician Kevin Bernstein, MD, competitive cyclist and Chief Medical Officer of the Peaks Coaching Group, who has researched vaccines and created a COVID-19 vaccine webinar for endurance athletes.
Here’s what you need to know.
This is a rapidly changing situation. For the most recent information, see resources such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regularly. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
Is It Safe To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine?
Yes. “We now have data on millions of people who have been vaccinated, and CDC data shows that severe allergic reactions are very, very rare,” Long says.
Specifically, the CDC’s latest report (released January 22, 2021) reports that more than 4 million people in the United States have received the Moderna coronavirus vaccine and anaphylaxis – the most concerning potential allergic reaction, which can be fatal – has occurred at a rate of 2.5 cases per 1 million strokes. A CDC report on the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine earlier this month reported that anaphylaxis occurred at a slightly higher, but still very rare rate of 11.1 per 1 million vaccines.
“These reactions are incredibly rare and more common in people with a history of severe allergic reactions,” says Long. “Vaccination sites monitor people after the vaccine to make sure they don’t have a serious allergic reaction, which usually occurs soon after the vaccine.” Medical personnel should be equipped to give an injection of epinephrine (similar to EpiPens for food allergies and bee stings) to anyone suspected of having a severe reaction.
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The biggest safety issue for most people is that the vaccine came “so fast,” Long says, because it looks like it was put in place in a year. It’s actually over 20 years old, Long says.
“The mRNA technology (which is used in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines) has been around since the late 1990s. Scientists have tried it for other viruses, with varying degrees of success. This experience helped to refine and improve the technology. So the technology was already there. They just needed the virus to be sequenced, which happened in January, to start working on it for this coronavirus. All the money and resources invested in development because of the pandemic have allowed it to evolve very quickly. But this technology is not new, ”says Long.
If you’re immunocompromised, you can see your doctor before getting vaccinated, but the CDC says people with autoimmune diseases or who are otherwise immunocompromised can receive the COVID-19 vaccine, provided they don’t have no other reasons not to do so, such as a history of severe allergic reactions.
Can the vaccine make you sick?
No. None of the approved vaccinations use a live virus. All the reactions you might get is that your immune system is doing its job, says Long.
“Once you get a vaccine your immune system responds, which is really hard to predict and varies from person to person,” he says. “Some people feel lousy for a day or two. You may have a mild fever. You may have muscle pain or fatigue. It could hurt where you shot. You might have a headache. It all just means the vaccine is doing its job. “
Anecdotally, people seem more likely to experience these symptoms after the second booster session, Bernstein and Long say, probably because that’s when your body shifts its immunity into high gear to boost it. the boost. Although the side effects are not pleasant, they are better than COVID-19.
Especially, if you don’t experience any side effects, it doesn’t mean the photo didn’t work. “You can have a good immune response to the vaccine without feeling bad,” says Long.
Will the vaccine change my DNA?
No. This question is circulating because the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines.
“MRNA is the messenger that delivers instructions from your DNA to other parts of the cell to make proteins. MRNA is not transcribed into DNA and inserted into our genome in our cells. It’s not the natural flow of information, ”says Long.
So, in the case of these vaccines, scientists have produced a synthetic version of the mRNA that the virus uses to build its spike protein. You get this mRNA injected into your deltoid muscle and these muscle cells make the peak protein of the virus. Your immune cells recognize that these cells have a spike protein and initiate an immune system response to get rid of it and remember what that spike protein will look like for the next time.
“It’s a very robust natural reaction that mimics what would happen with an actual infection,” says Long. “The good thing about this vaccine is that it’s very easy to make changes and synthesize the mRNA, so this type of vaccine is easy to adapt if we have to respond to a new variant later. “
Proteins never come together to form an actual virus, so you can’t get sick from the coronavirus as a result of the shot, Bernstein says. “If you think of the virus as a Mustang, mRNA is the instruction booklet on how to make an emblem for the hood of the car,” he says. Your body recognizes the entire virus (or Mustang) only from this distinctive part (the emblem) and makes the immunity tools it needs to take it apart on sight.
The vaccine is therefore safe and will not alter your DNA in any way. As with all vaccines, you may experience some symptoms when your immune system responds. (See above for more details on these reactions.)
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and John & Johnson vaccines coming soon viral vector vaccines. This means that the vaccine uses a modified and safe version of the virus (aka the vector), which in this case are the advanced proteins found on the surface of the coronavirus. This vector is injected, and your body mounts an immune response, which it remembers if it encounters these spike proteins on the actual virus on the road. It doesn’t change your DNA either. Viral vector technology is not new either; it has been around since the 1970s.
Is the vaccine free?
The shooting itself is covered by US tax dollars, so technically you’ve already paid for it, and yes, it’s basically free for everyone. That said, vaccine suppliers may charge an administration fee for the vaccine. This cost can be reimbursed by insurance. Uninsured persons can get the cost covered by the Provider Relief Fund of the Health Resources and Services Administration. No one can be refused a vaccine if they are unable to pay for it.
How long does the vaccine last?
This remains to be determined, but so far the immune system’s response appears to be lasting, Long says. “The latest data is six months old and most people still have very good protection against vaccination. We will know more over time and they will continue to follow people from clinical trials.
Can I drive after receiving the vaccine?
Yes. “I did a Zone 3, ‘sweet spot’ lap with the coach the next day and felt perfectly fine,” says Bernstein. You probably don’t want to plan an epic adventure the next day or two in case you feel crappy. But unlike exercising with COVID-19, which can be dangerous, there is no health risk from exercising after being vaccinated.
Should I get the vaccine if I have had COVID before?
Yes. The CDC recommends that even people who have already fallen ill with COVID-19 get vaccinated because it is not known how long natural immunity lasts and / or whether it is based on the severity of your illness.
“Immunity to the vaccine appears to be stronger for many people than that which follows infection and may last longer,” says Long.
Am I immune to COVID after receiving the vaccine?
Not immediately. “It takes a few weeks after the first vaccine to see an increase in antibodies and you only get full protection for a week or two after the second vaccine. [which is 21 to 28 days later depending upon the type of vaccine]”Said Long.
“I know people who contracted COVID between their first and second doses,” Long says. The vaccine also keeps you from getting seriously ill, but not necessarily getting the disease and having minor symptoms or being asymptomatic.
In addition, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are approximately 95% effective, which is very high, but not 100%. (The Johnson & Johnson single-injection vaccine that has not yet been released is said to be 85% effective against serious illness and 66% effective in preventing moderate to severe infections.) So there will still be a small number of people who could still catch the virus after their complete inoculation.
Can I stop wearing a mask after receiving the vaccine?
Not yet. (We know. We know. We are impatient too.) Again, the effects of the vaccines are not immediate. You are therefore not protected for a few weeks after your booster injection. And even then, if you are vaccinated, but others are not, you may still be able to catch the virus and infect them, Long says.
We will therefore have to take the usual protections – masking, keeping away and washing our hands – until the deployment of the vaccine allows us to achieve “herd immunity”, the point at which a sufficient number of us are immune to. stop the spread. It is hoped that things will continue to improve in the spring and summer through early fall if the estimates stay on track, Long said.
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