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TRENTO. With the first doses of vaccine now on Italian territory me the start of the administration scheduled for Sunday December 27, the debate on vaccines continues to intensify. Between those who say that if I could I would be first in line and those who evade the needle with conviction there are every possible and imaginable shade of opinion.
All this discussion, however, certainly does not bring clarity. Rather confuses many people, especially when they add the famous “keyboard lions”, always ready to Passing off mere opinions as established truths. Therefore, also given the delicate situation in which the world finds itself, l’Aifa has decided to launch a document clarifying the anti-Covid vaccine, answering some of the most common questions.
Gives “What is the vaccine and what is it used for?“what passes through”Will it work against the English variant?“Until”Let’s go back to life before?”The document is proposed as one official source of answers to the doubts that beset Italians in these times.
Down ilDolomiti.it offers a selection of answers to some of the most controversial questions, but attaches the full file for later reference.
Was the trial shortened to have the product soon?
Studies on COVID-19 vaccines, including the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Comirnaty), began in the spring of 2020, so they lasted a few months compared to the usual times, but had the participation of a large number of people – ten times higher than the standards of similar vaccine development studies. Therefore, it was possible to conduct a large study, sufficient to demonstrate efficacy and safety. None of the usual phases of verification of the efficacy and safety of the vaccine have been skipped: the short times that led to rapid registration have been made possible by the research carried out over many years on RNA vaccines, to the large human resources and made available in a very short time and for the evaluation of the regulatory bodies of the results obtained as they were produced and not, as usual, only when all the studies are completed. These simple steps have saved years of approval times.
Can the vaccine cause COVID-19 disease or other genetic changes?
This vaccine does not use active viruses, but only a genetic component that brings information to the vaccinator’s body to produce specific antibodies. There are no whole or live viruses involved, so the vaccine cannot cause disease. Vaccine mRNA, like all mRNA produced by cells, naturally breaks down after a few days in the person who receives it.
What adverse reactions have been observed?
The most commonly observed adverse reactions (more than 1 in 10 people) in the COVID-19 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine study (Comirnaty) were generally mild or moderate in severity and resolved within a few days of vaccination. These included pain and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, chills, and fever. Fewer than 1 in 10 people experienced redness and nausea at the injection site. Itching at the injection site, pain in the extremities, swollen lymph nodes, difficulty falling asleep and nausea were rare and affected less than 1 in 100 people. one side of the face (acute peripheral facial paralysis) has occurred rarely, in less than 1 in 1000 people.
A new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been reported: will the vaccine also be effective against this new variant?
RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 are subject to frequent mutations, most of which do not significantly alter the structure and components of the virus. In 2020 many variants of SARS-CoV-2 were reported, but so far these variants have not altered the natural behavior of the virus. The variant reported in England is the result of a series of protein mutations on the surface of the virus and the effects these may have on the progress of the epidemic are being evaluated, while a negative effect on vaccination seems unlikely.
Can pregnant or lactating women and people with immunodeficiency or autoimmune diseases be vaccinated?
For both categories, the data collected is still too limited, but the studies carried out so far do not appear to show contraindications to the use of the vaccine by these people. However, in the cases of pregnant women and immunosuppressed subjects, vaccination is recommended as they belong to the high-risk categories of Covid-19. However, it is advisable to consult your doctor before undergoing the vaccine.
Does the vaccination allow you to return to life as before?
Even if the efficacy of the COVID-19 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine is very high (more than 90%) there will always be a portion of those vaccinated who will not develop the immune defense, in addition, we still do not know definitively if the vaccination only prevents the manifestation. disease or even the transmission of infections. For this reason, being vaccinated does not confer a “certificate of freedom” but it is necessary to continue adopting the correct behaviors and measures to contain the risk of contagion.
The complete file:
