Are the COVID-19 Vaccines Safe?

 

Corona Virus the causative agent of a global pandemic has infected around 123 million people worldwide as of 21st March 2021. It has claimed 2.71 million lives in the span of a year.

But 69.5 million people have also recovered from this infective virus. This started at the very end of 2019 and an ever-increasing list of causalities comes to the public eye.

Earlier, practicing effective public health safety measures like; worldwide lockdown, physical distancing, wearing masks, and avoiding crowds seemed to be the only legitimate solutions to avoid getting infected. But, the mention of vaccines brought a ray of hope to the 219 infected nations and their territories.

After almost a year, now in 2021 a lot of countries have started administering the vaccine. However, the relief seems to be very short-lived. Some European nations have reported cases of recipients experiencing clotting of blood and a drop in platelet count after taking the vaccine.

This has led to a temporary suspension of the use of Covid-19 vaccines in some countries like; Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, and Iceland. In view of the prevailing conditions, it becomes essentially important to outweigh all the associated risks before taking the jab.

Authorized Recommendations

World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the interim use of AstraZeneca – Oxford Covid-19 vaccine and Covishield- Serum Institute of India Covid-19 vaccine in case of emergency.

However, they are still in the process of approval. With the news of potential side effects emerges a threat to the administration of this vaccine globally.

Both AstraZeneca and Covishield underwent consideration by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and were reviewed by European Medicine Agency (EMA).

After a thorough assessment of AstraZeneca for its quality, safety, and efficacy; EMA recommends granting AstraZeneca a conditional marketing authorization, approving administration to people aged 18 years and above.

The Covid-19 subcommittee of WHO's Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) released an official statement regarding the use of AstraZeneca and Covishield after outweighing potential risks and benefits based on scientific evidence.

According to the scientific data available, so far a causal relationship between vaccination and reported cases of blood clotting has not been established.

But the fact that it has happened cannot be looked upon and the GACVS Covid-19 subcommittee in their official statement mentions, "These conditions occur naturally and are not common. They also occur as a result of Covid-19". They also revealed that the observed rates of these causalities are fewer than expected.

Of the 20 million doses administered in Europe, 18 cases of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis are reported and it stands a fair chance that they're not a result of the vaccination. However, the available scientific data is not enough to develop any relational evidence.

According to WHO records, so far 20 million doses of AstraZeneca in Europe and 27 million doses of Covishield in India are administered. But reportedly, there are only 50 cases of negative outcomes across Europe.

The available has thereby not suggestive of an overall increase in the occurrence of the clotting events. Thus, the vaccines seemingly showcase a 'positive benefit-risk profile' as quoted by the GACVS Covid-19 subcommittee.

What Is the Future of Vaccines?

Although the benefits have visibly outweighed the risks and the vaccines AstraZeneca and Covishield seem to have 'tremendous potential' in preventing the Covid-19 infections and reduce the number of deaths caused by it; the negative reports are not disregarded by GACVS.

The committee has assured that they will continue to review the safety data from all the existing vaccines and not just AstraZeneca and Covishield and update the guidelines if necessary.

Meanwhile, the countries administering the said vaccines should educate the health care providers and the recipient of vaccines about all the potentially serious adverse conditions that may occur.

This will help ensure that the citizens seek and receive proper and prompt medical attention in case of an emergency. The countries are also advised by the GACVS Covid-19 subcommittee to monitor the safety of vaccines and promote reporting of adverse conditions if any.

Can Everybody Take the Vaccine?

Several countries have started the vaccination drive for the elderly individuals above the age of 75 years, 70 years, or 60 years varyingly. However, the question of why to take a vaccine and who can take a vaccine still prevails. Therefore, it is paramount to address this here.

A vaccine is essentially a killed or a virulent (not disease-causing) preparation of a part of the causative agent itself of an infection, the Covid-19 virus in this case.

It is extremely normal to experience the associated signs and symptoms of an infection post-vaccination. It doesn't harm your body but mimics the action of a causative agent to elicit an immune response in the body.

 After vaccination, the body forms a memory (short-lived or long-lived) of the infecting pathogen. This helps the body fight any potential infection by the same pathogen.

 If a vaccination provides short-term protection then a booster dose is generally recommended. Thus, vaccination essentially prevents infections. The presence of co-morbidity factors along with old age or otherwise puts one at a greater risk of getting infected or succumb to Covid-19 infection.

Therefore, these people should get vaccinated sooner. The co-morbidity factors listed by WHO include; obesity, cardiovascular disorders, respiratory illnesses, and diabetes.

People suffering from immune conditions like HIV-AIDS, autoimmune disorders, or any kind of immuno-compromised condition should also get themselves registered for vaccination.

However, people who were previously infected by the virus can take the vaccine after a span of 6 months. In order to let others who need the vaccine more urgently take it first.

Pregnancy poses an increased risk of getting infected by the Covid-19 virus but the absence of evidence-based scientific data prevents the authorities from creating any dialogue on this matter.

A pregnant health care provider or someone who has otherwise come in contact with the virus during their pregnancy should consult their medical care provider. If the potential benefits outweigh the risks a pregnant woman can be vaccinated.

Even lactating mothers can be vaccinated if they are a part of any of the priority groups advised to get urgently vaccinated. However, it is advised that children below the age of 18 years of age and people with history of severe allergies should not be vaccinated.

It is best suggested that everyone should consult their health care provider and refer to the authentic guidelines issued by their respective countries or WHO before taking the vaccine.

All of us the commoners must understand one thing that this is a novel strain that has caused a pandemic. Therefore, the authorities need to check and re-evaluate all the data that has to be made public. So we must stay patient, alert, and informed on our end to come out of this together.

Written by - Akanksha Sharma

Edited by - Adrija Saha