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Pfizer vaccine arrives in Korea by airmail▶ Click here to enlarge the view
Following AstraZeneca (AZ), the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) vaccine developed by Pfizer will also start in Korea on the 27th, with the focus on its efficacy, side effects and vaccination method.
According to health authorities, the Pfizer vaccine, which entered Korea the day before through the COVAX facility, an international vaccine joint purchasing project, will be inoculated to the medical personnel in charge of Corona 19 from this day on. A total of 300 people, including 199 workers from the National Medical Center and 101 workers from the Corona 19 patient treatment hospital in the metropolitan area, are subject to the first vaccination.
Pfizer’s ‘Cominati’ vaccine is a ‘nucleic acid vaccine’ that uses messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA, messenger RNA) that contains the genetic information of the virus. It was jointly developed by Pfizer in the United States and Bioentech in Germany.
The antigenic gene of the Corona 19 virus is injected into the body as mRNA to produce an antigenic protein, thereby inducing an immune response.
Previously, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety examined the safety and efficacy of the vaccine through a phase 3 clinical trial conducted in six countries, including the United States, and found that the preventive effect was 95%. Even including the elderly and those with underlying diseases, it had a preventive effect of more than 94%.
However, for severe prevention of Corona 19, the total number of occurrences was small, so there was no statistical significance.
All those who received the vaccine increased their “antibody titer,” an antibody titer capable of responding to the Corona 19 virus antigen, more than four times. Titres of “neutralizing antibodies”, which neutralize viral infectivity and induce a preventive effect, also increased more than fourfold.
Honam Vaccination Center for Pfizer Vaccination Simulation Training▶ Click here to enlarge the view
Most of the local and systemic adverse reactions observed mainly in clinical trials were mild and disappeared between 1 and 2 days after initiation.
Local reactions included injection site pain (84.1%), swelling (10.5%), and redness (9.5%). Systemic reactions such as fatigue (62.9%), headache (55.1%), muscle aches (38.3%) and chills (31.9%) also appeared.
In addition to the common symptoms, there were 4 cases of acute facial paralysis.
Allergic reactions have been reported during large-scale post-clinical vaccinations.
When the Pfizer vaccine was vaccinated against 1,893,000 people, including healthcare workers in the United States from December 14 to 23 of last year, 0.2% (4,393 people) had an allergic reaction.
Of these, 175 potentially serious cases were closely examined and as a result found ‘anaphylaxis’ in 21 and non-anaphylactic allergic reactions in 83. Anaphylaxis is a rapid systemic reaction that occurs within minutes to hours due to certain foods or medications.
The rest were cases of fainting or anxiety regardless of allergies.
Cryogenic Freezer Inspection Before Vaccine Arrives Pfizer▶ Click here to enlarge the view
Pfizer and other mRNA vaccines have a short manufacturing time, so they can be mass-produced in a short period of time, but are considered to be a bit difficult to administer.
First, since the main components are easily decomposed, the stability is poor, thus requiring a cryogenic cold chain for distribution and storage. In addition, it must undergo a pre-use process such as thawing and dilution.
Storage conditions for Pfizer vaccine are -60 to 90 degrees Celsius and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before first use. The validity period is 6 months.
This vaccine should be administered a total of 2 doses of 0.3 ml at a time. The second vaccination is administered 3 weeks after the first vaccination and the preventive effect appears 7 days after the second vaccination.
Vaccination targets are 16 years or older, but children and adolescents under the age of 18 are currently excluded from vaccination in Korea. Final vaccination goals, etc. they are determined after the final approval result of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the deliberation of the Immunization Committee of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This Pfizer vaccine is suitable for Corona 19 medical personnel.
On that day, the government will administer the first vaccines to 300 members of the medical staff of the National Medical Center, and after that, the vaccines will be administered sequentially at corona 19 vaccination centers and hospitals dedicated to infectious diseases.
The first vaccination for the 55,000 medical staff treating COVID-19 patients will be completed on the 20th of the following month. The second vaccination is expected to end on April 10, three weeks later.
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