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Park Wan-beom, Professor of Infectious Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, Corona Vaccine Department
The new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) is the third pandemic. Vaccines to escape the ‘crown tunnel’ are being developed one after another. A vaccine developed by the American pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Modena has just started in the United States. In Korea, the vaccine will be available only from February to March next year as soon as possible.
Vaccination, which is a “game changer”, has begun, but there are many people who decline the vaccine due to side effects such as allergies and muscle aches. Park Wan-beom, professor of infectious medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, summed up the topic ‘Can I get the Corona 19 RNA vaccine?’, Which he gave a lecture on YouTube.
-What is the principle of the Corona 19 vaccine? Do you inject live virus directly into your body?
“As of December 2020, more than 50 COVID-19 vaccines are in clinical trials around the world. The principle is slightly different for each vaccine, but we will talk about the most talked about RNA vaccine since the recent clinical trial was completed and vaccination started in each country.
The Pfizer vaccine and the Modena vaccine are representative RNA vaccines. No vaccine injects live virus directly into the body. The Corona 19 virus binds and enters respiratory cells through protein S on their surface.
Both vaccines contain the genetic information that produces this protein S in the form of RNA. When the vaccine is injected, this genetic information is entered into the cells of the body, and protein S is produced by various processes. As the protein S produced in this way and the immune cells of our body react with each other, immunity against Corona 19 “is formed.
-Could the RNA vaccine then change the genetic information of the vaccinated person?
“Human genetic information exists in the form of DNA in the nucleus of a cell. RNA injected by RNA vaccines acts in the cytoplasm outside the cell nucleus. The RNA from the vaccine does not enter the nucleus that contains human DNA, and since our cells shed the RNA from the vaccine after producing protein S, the RNA from the vaccine cannot change human genetic information. “
-Is there a problem with the transport and storage of the RNA vaccine?
“RNA is a very fragile substance. Therefore, to keep RNA vaccines intact, storage and transportation is needed that can keep very low temperatures constant. Pfizer vaccines should be stored at -70 degrees Celsius and modder vaccines should be stored at -20 degrees Celsius. Storage and transportation facilities nationwide that can maintain such a low temperature can provide a stable supply of RNA vaccines for home inoculations. “
-Are we developing vaccines?
“In Korea, clinical trials of five corona 19 vaccines are also underway. Seoul National University Hospital is conducting a clinical trial for SK vaccine. The SK vaccine is a protein-conjugated antigen vaccine, like the existing 13-valent pneumonia vaccine, and is a more familiar form than the RNA vaccine from Pfizer and Modena. It is expected to be easy to store and transport as it only needs to be stored in the refrigerator. “
-How many times should I get the Corona 19 vaccine? Like the flu, should the vaccine be re-vaccinated every year when the strain comes out?
“Based on the RNA vaccine from Pfizer and Modena, the Corona 19 vaccine should be given twice every 3 to 4 weeks. There are six known subtypes of Corona 19 virus. They differ from each other in some of the amino acids of a surface protein or enzyme, such as protein S. However, this does not have a significant effect on the structure of surface proteins or enzymes. .
In addition, the modder or vaccines have been reported to induce an immune response not only against the original corona 19 virus but also against the virus of the subtype. Thus, so far, it can be seen that corona virus 19 vaccination also prevents infection of corona virus 19 subtype.
And when looking at the gene for the corona virus 19 subtype, there are not as many mutations as the gene for the influenza virus. During the same period, the influenza virus is twice as mutational as the Corona 19 virus. Therefore, the COVID-19 virus will continue to have genetic mutations, but the strain will not be as common as the influenza virus.
Although more research is currently underway, it is not yet clear how long the immunity formed after vaccinating COVID-19 will remain. The maintenance period for antibodies against other coronaviruses similar to Corona 19 virus is approximately 1 to 2 years, and the maintenance period for antibodies against Corona 19 virus is expected to be similar. Depending on the period of immunity to be revealed in the future and if the corona 19 virus becomes indigenous, the additional vaccine is expected to be administered. “
-What are the effects and side effects of inoculating the Corona 19 vaccine?
“In Pfizer and Moder or RNA vaccine studies, the vaccination efficiency is around 95%. In other words, if you are vaccinated with the Corona 19 vaccine, your chances of becoming infected with the Corona 19 virus are reduced to 1 in 20.
“Both Pfizer, Moder and RNA vaccines have similar side effects to other vaccines. Systemic reactions such as fever, chills, muscle pain, joint pain and headache may occur after vaccination and local reactions such as pain, redness and edema at the injection site. Also, anaphylactic reactions with low blood pressure or respiratory failure can be rare.
In the Pfizer and Modena vaccines, the side effects of the vaccine occurred mainly after the second dose. In the case of the Pfizer vaccine, 16% complained of fever, 26% of headaches and 38% of muscle pain after the second vaccination, and the Modena vaccine is similar. Long-term complications have not yet been reported. However, since RNA vaccines are a new type of vaccine, follow-up studies are needed for long-term complications. “
-Young people recover well even if they are infected with Corona 19. So is it more dangerous if side effects occur after vaccination than getting infected with Corona 19?
“It is true that adults under 50 years of age recover well without major problems, even if they are infected with Corona 19. However, even before age 50, if accompanied by diabetes, obesity, chronic cardiopulmonary disease and immunocompromised diseases, corona19 virus infection can become severely worse and in some cases lead to death. Also, if a young adult is infected with Corona 19, there won’t be a big problem for the person, but it can spread Corona 19 to older adults in the vicinity. And recently, as the number of corona 19 patients has increased rapidly, the number of hospital rooms is becoming increasingly scarce.
Therefore, it may be helpful for young people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to reduce their own harm caused by COVID-19 infection and minimize the spread to high-risk groups, such as the elderly, and efficiently use resources. doctors ”.
-Isn’t it better to be immunized against natural infections than to get vaccinated?
“If you are naturally infected with the Corona 19 virus, it can induce not only a systemic immune response to the Corona 19 virus, but also a local immune response in the respiratory mucosa. On the other hand, because the COVID-19 vaccine is generally administered by intramuscular injection, the local immune response in the respiratory tract may not be well induced.
However, we do not believe that there is a significant difference between the immunity obtained with the COVID-19 vaccine or natural infection. In the case of the COVID-19 RNA vaccine, part of the S protein has been modified to better induce an immune response in the body. Therefore, when vaccinated with Corona 19 vaccine, more neutralizing antibodies against Corona 19 virus may be temporarily produced. Three months after the second dose of Modena RNA vaccine, the corona19 antibody levels of those vaccinated were higher than corona19 antibody levels in the recovery period after spontaneous infection. More research is being done on antibody levels 3 months after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. “
-Do I have to wear a mask if I get the vaccine?
“Even if you get the Corona 19 vaccine, it is a good idea to wear a mask. Even receiving the Corona 19 vaccine does not completely prevent corona 19 infection. Wearing a mask can further increase the preventive effect while reducing the spread of Corona 19 virus saliva. Also, if you are vaccinated with the Corona 19 vaccine Even if you are infected with the virus, you may have little or no symptoms. In this case, the virus can continue to spread to other people in daily life, so it is good to wear a mask to minimize the spread of the virus.
Kwon Dae-ik Medical journalist [email protected]
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