A couple of years have passed since the first case of coronavirus was detected. After a while, it was already known that we were facing another wave of pandemics, and that a return to relative normality would only be possible once the vaccine for COVID-19 was in circulation.
Now that the vaccine is on the market, some are concerned that it has not been sufficiently tested and could be dangerous. Is it rightfully so?
Coronavirus – basic information
Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is transmitted by droplet or touch. It mainly attacks the respiratory system, but not only. What symptoms of coronavirus are most commonly observed? Three basic ones – elevated temperature, cough combined with shortness of breath and weakness. Increasingly, however, patients are being diagnosed with a number of unusual symptoms – headache, muscle pain, sore throat, cough, diarrhea, sudden loss of smell and/or taste, rashes on the palms and soles of the feet, inflammation of the mouth, vomiting, chills and conjunctivitis. It’s safe to say that the list of worrisome symptoms is growing.
The number of cases of coronavirus in Poland at all times is very high. The restrictions in place to curb the pandemic are affecting everyone’s lives. Therefore, the question of when the coronavirus vaccine will become available has been asked more and more loudly. Today, when it is available, voices are heard that it could be dangerous because, some say, it has not been properly tested. Meanwhile, any preparation approved for use must undergo a series of tests, including clinical trials on a large group of participants.
Coronavirus vaccine
As soon as the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 was isolated, work began on developing vaccines for coronavirus. A prototype version of the vaccine was created in mid-March 2020. After advanced testing, formulations from Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech have already been approved for marketing, and more vaccines from other brands are awaiting approval.
The vaccines from Moderna and the combined forces of Pfizer and BioNTech have similar efficacy rates of around 95%, and virtually identical side effects, which include headache, muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue, fever, rains, nausea and redness of the skin at the site of administration. Importantly, during clinical trials conducted on more than 40,000 people for Pfizer and BioNTech’s formulation and more than 30,000 for Moderna’s vaccine, the severity of adverse reactions was mild to moderate.
The differences between the vaccines are due to the use of excipients. Moderna’s formulation contains more stabilizers that affect the storability of the vaccine vials. Among other things, this allows Moderna to be kept in the freezer at -25 to -15 degrees C for six months, while Pfizer and BioNTech require temperatures to be kept at -70 degrees C to be fit for use for six months.
How to stop coronavirus?
When will the vaccine be available to everyone? Vaccine production takes time, so the decision on when the next group will be vaccinated is based on how many vials of the product we will have as a country. For the time being, it is difficult to say when the vaccine will reach everyone who wants it.
Read: COVID-19 is a thing of the past? World Health Organization experts have decided.
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