If you don’t have a reaction to the vaccine, was it still working?

STRAIT – People still have a lot of questions about COVID-19 vaccines. Dr Frank McGeorge of Local 4 tries to respond to as many people as possible.

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I recently read an article that if you have a reaction to the second dose, it means it is working as it should. If you have no reaction to the second dose, is the vaccine still working?

Yes. Whether you have a reaction to your first or second dose, it is just as effective. The studies performed in support of the emergency use authorization included people with and without a reaction to the vaccine. The overall efficacy was 94 to 95 percent for the vaccinated group as a whole.

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What are the data on seasonal influenza? What is the prevalence this year? If the event is on the decline, could it be due to coronavirus precautions?

Influenza activity is much lower compared to previous years. It’s historically low for February. There are several probable reasons. First, more people have been vaccinated against the flu this season than the average year. The second reason is that all measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are also extremely effective against influenza.

After stopping aggressive coronavirus precautions, the flu is likely to come back and could even be more of a problem. The seasonal flu vaccine is developed from strains that have recently circulated to other parts of the world. Influenza activity is declining everywhere, so the best target for next year’s vaccine is not yet clear.

I know someone who, when she got her second shot, was sick for four days with flu-like symptoms. Is it really due to the vaccine or is it possible that she had the flu?

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It was probably a reaction to the vaccine. Especially since we have practically no flu in circulation.

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