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After the inhabitants of our country had the option of deciding which vaccine they want to receive against kovid-19, this generated numerous questions and dilemmas, the biggest of which is how to decide?
Biochemist Sanja Vujčić solves burning dilemmas about this vaccine in her blog post Biochemical Corner, which we are broadcasting in full:
The human fear of choosing the “wrong” vaccine is understandable, because the choice is a bit like buying a new mobile phone. Various models are listed and specifications are given, most of which the average user does not even understand. In a persistent way, as promoting the fact that THERE IS NO WRONG VACCINE, the most important thing is that as many people as possible, especially the most threatened, get vaccinated as soon as possible, and it is much less important which of the vaccines offered vaccinates you . you will receive, because all vaccines are safe and effective. This dilemma shouldn’t bother people at all.
Various conspiracy theorists are trying to abuse this confusion, constantly spreading misinformation and unverified statements, which aim to dissuade a person from getting vaccinated, inventing non-selective nebulae like deaths. The latest in a series of such manipulations is the spreading of lies that KBC doctor “Zvezdara” died after vaccination and as “everyone knows”, so the man had to inform his acquaintances that he was alive and taking responsibility. to spread lies remains questionable.
But we will put them aside. Given the large number of imported Chinese vaccines, this text will be dedicated to answering some of the most common questions, dilemmas, and misconceptions about the Sinopharm vaccine, but also to clarifying some terms that are constantly used and are not part of the Everyday language. that is to say. they have their meaning in science.
Photo: Tanjug / Strahinja Acimovic
1. Why should I get vaccinated if the Chinese vaccine is only 50% effective? (FALSE)
– First of all, the Chinese vaccine is not a term. These are two different vaccines, two different manufacturers, only the basic principle is the same: inactivated coronavirus, CoronaVac (Sinovac Bitech) and BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm). Confusing data on the low efficacy of 50.4% refer exclusively to the CoronaVac vaccine, however the only Chinese vaccine available in Serbia is Sinopharm, whose efficacy is 86% based on a comprehensive analysis of phase III clinical trials according to a study that was conducted by the national regulatory body of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, which is very efficient.
Another very important thing is that the efficiency is 86% when we talk about the disease, that is. Coronavirus infection, however, the effectiveness of the vaccine is 100% against severe and moderate-severe forms of the disease!
2. The safety of the vaccine has not yet been demonstrated (FALSE)
All vaccines have been proven safe, no vaccine can be adopted if it is not safe. From the beginning it was known that vaccines would be immunogenic (trigger an immune response) and safe (but of course this must be demonstrated), the dilemma was only to what extent would they be effective, and the WHO set the criteria that the vaccine should be at least 50% effective. !! Adverse reactions are extremely rare and characteristic of any vaccine: pain at the injection site and fever is even less frequent than with other available vaccines. This exact percentage of the appearance of adverse reactions will change minimally with the increase in the statistical sample, that is. the number of people receiving the vaccine. The effectiveness of the vaccine has also been demonstrated, and we will know the effectiveness in a couple of years precisely, because only then is it possible to know – it does not mean that we will know if it is effective, because we already know it is, but with what precision is the effectiveness Dear. Efficient effectiveness? What is the difference?
3. I read on one site that the effectiveness of the vaccine is 75% and the estimated effectiveness is 81%. How do I know who is lying? (These figures are not actual data, they are provided for illustrative purposes only).
Nobody, because the efficacy and effectiveness of the vaccine are not the same, and they are very often confused and misinterpreted.
– The efficacy of the vaccine represents the% reduction in the incidence (frequency) of the disease in the vaccinated group compared to the non-vaccinated group (the so-called control), shown from a study that must be properly designed, ideally an RCT (randomized controlled study). The disease is determined by appropriate laboratory diagnoses, and the different populations of people should be distributed (distributed) equally in both the control group and the group receiving the vaccine, e.g. number of young people, old people, medical personnel, etc. This better controls the possibility that the outcome of the infection is not affected by the probability of more frequent contact with the virus.
– Vaccine efficacy is the ability of the vaccine to prevent (prevent) unwanted results in real-world circumstances. This value is not predicted and it is possible to obtain accurate data only on the basis of the year of data collection, ie. after phase IV. Efficacy is predicted based on efficacy, but due to a number of factors it cannot be expected to be the same (for example, in the case of this vaccine, all individuals who become infected after the first dose of vaccine because have not yet developed immunity will reduce efficacy).
How did the problem arise with the SinoVac vaccine (the one that is not available in our country)? The company’s explanation is that in a study conducted in Brazil, the efficiency was significantly lower, because a large number of participants were medical workers, who were exposed to a high concentration of the virus, generally the most infectious strains.
Photo: Tanjug / Rade Prelić
4. What are the side effects of the Sinopharm vaccine? Do I have reason to fear?
– The only question that is a mystery to scientists and how long it will show is how long immunity lasts. However, once again, no vaccine is of questionable safety. Like any other approved vaccine, this vaccine is safe, which means that only in a very small number of cases will side effects occur, mainly pain at the injection site, transient increase in temperature, and redness.
5. Can I get a “crown” after vaccination?
– This applies to all vaccines. It is important to note that it is not the vaccine that protects against the disease in the future, but the antibodies and T cells that will develop as a result of vaccination. The important thing is that the immune response takes time and that the person is considered protected only after complete immunization, that is, after all the doses received. Any exposure to the virus before that is dangerous. Once a person develops immunity, he cannot begin to act completely immune until the concentration of the virus drops significantly at all sites of frequent movement (that is, until pandemics and epidemics are over), because always the problem exists. possibility that only that in that 14%.
6. If immunity lasts for six months, is it worth getting vaccinated?
– Of course. Vaccination means ending the pandemic and then the epidemic chain of virus spread. The studies that are being carried out will be monitored when revaccination is necessary, that is, the period during which it is necessary to “restore immunity”.
7. I would rather put the crown on, if only I could have the Chinese vaccine
– This is a completely incorrect and dangerous way of thinking. The fairy tale about the “common flu” has long been a fairy tale. A large recently published study of 47,780 respondents showed that the long-term consequences of kovida-19 are dire – far worse than we all expected. Secondary damage to the heart, kidneys, liver, without clear logic and frequent deaths (for conspiracy theorists, none of these results is considered a fatal result of kovid-19 – see reference). Many patients, after leaving the hospital, very quickly needed hospital care or the help of a doctor again, due to secondary damage to various organs (the study was linked).
Photo: Tanjug / Rade Prelić
By spreading the virus, you put yourself at risk. The probability of a serious side effect (anaphylaxis) (which in 75% of cases was successfully treated within 15 minutes after the vaccine) in the vaccine is 5000 times less than dying from the consequences of COVID in Serbia. A more severe vaccine reaction (anaphylaxis) occurred in 0.00001% of people after the first dose of Pfizer vaccine (these data are provided because they are currently available to us), whereas mortality from kovid is 3% worldwide and 1% in our country (3,810 people died out of 377,445 reported cases).
Studies remain to be done to determine how many times a stronger immune response develops with vaccination than with the more severe form of the disease (which creates a greater amount of antibodies compared to the mildest form, but also leaves the most serious consequences long-term). Health). Why is it impossible to know immediately? Because as many statistical samples as possible are needed, that is, as many people as possible must receive the vaccine and time must pass for immunity to develop. Science is looking for facts, not guesswork, so it takes time to collect the necessary data. Israel has vaccinated the largest number of people so far and, apart from the fact that nothing has happened to them, they have acquired the conditions to investigate something like this. According to the results of one study, the immune response of people who received the vaccine is up to 6-20 times stronger than those who were not vaccinated and had some form of kovid-19.
8. Last question: what vaccine would you get?
If I really could choose, it would be Pfizer, for maximum efficiency. Which one do I intend to receive? Pfizer or Chinese (Sinopharm)? Anyway. It is important for me to get vaccinated as soon as possible, so I checked both vaccines.
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