How Will The Vaccine Affect Me?

How will the vaccine affect me?

First let us discuss the 2 types of immunity

Innate immunity

This is the body’s first line of defence. We are born with it. These are your skin, your senses ( touch, smell, hearing, taste and feel), your complement system that enhances the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to destroy organisms that can harm your body.

Innate immunity does not have memory so once the organism is destroyed it stops working therefore it does not provide protection against future exposures to the same organism.

Acquired immunity

This is also called adaptive immunity and the body’s second line of defense.

This part of our immune system learns to recognize the organism, remembers what harm it does to the body and kills it before it can cause damage. This ability is called immunological memory.

What does the vaccine do?

Vaccine triggers your body to develop acquired immunity. It contains either an inactivated (dead), attenuated (weakened) modified viruses or bacteria or a genetic material from a specific virus. This is known as antigen and is used to prepare the immune system against specific infections.

Once the vaccine is injected into the body, the immune system recognizes the antigen as “foreign body” and will prepare to destroy them by making antibodies and memory cells.

When the memory cells meet the antigen again by natural infection specific antibodies are produced just like the first encounter but this time quicker and in greater number. So there is an early defensive response that stops the virus to multiply causing the body to recover quicker or prevents the development of the disease.

This response is the same if a person gets infected with the virus but without the risk of causing severe damage or death because the microorganism used in the vaccine is weakened, dead or only a part of it.

Who can safely have the vaccine?

According to the published clinical trials from Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Moderna and Sinovac most people who are 18 years old and above are safe to have the vaccine.

There is a list of conditions that needs to be considered and assessed by the doctors before giving the vaccine.

People who are taking immunosuppressants and with HIV

They can still have the vaccine if the risk of dying from contracting the virus is greater.

A person taking immunosuppressant needs to understand that they may not get a full immune response to COVID 19 vaccination or they may feel stronger side effects. Patients who are receiving planned immunosuppressive therapy can have the vaccine 2 weeks before starting their treatment. If possible delay the treatment until the 2 doses of vaccine is completed. This means that these patients must have their complete doses within the 3 or 4 weeks because they may not receive the maximum benefit if the second dose is given during period of immunosuppression.

The patient needs to consult with his/her specialist and decide if the benefit outweighs the risk.

Severe allergic reaction (Anaphylaxis)

Common causes of severe allergic reactions include: food, eggs, and nuts but it can also be caused by medicines or vaccines. Anaphylaxis is a rare potentially life-threatening event, it usually happens immediately (within minutes) after having the vaccine. Confirmed severe allergic reaction after vaccination is extremely rare. But it is still very important that vaccinators know how to treat severe allergic reaction in case it happens and equipment’s for treatment must be readily available in the area.

All vaccinators must complete Basic Life Support and anaphylaxis training prior to giving any vaccines.

Severe allergic reaction happens if a person is expose to an allergen. The patient will experience difficulty of breathing and swelling of the mouth and tongue. These can lead to the patient being unable to breath, low blood pressure and heart rate and loss of consciousness.

Pregnancy

Published data from clinical trials did not show any safety issues to pregnant women, and there are evidence to recommend the COVID 19 vaccine during pregnancy.

The advice to vaccinate for pregnant women should be given my their doctor after considering the risk of exposure or the woman has other health problems that puts them at a very high risk of serious complications if they get infected with COVID 19 virus. The doctor must discuss the risk and benefits of vaccination to the patient, including the available safety data.

Women who are trying to get pregnant can have COVID vaccine. However, it is recommended that they finish the 2 doses before trying. If the woman finds out that she is pregnant after having the first dose, she may complete the vaccination during pregnancy if she is high risk. Alternatively, she can have the second dose after giving birth.

This advice is based on latest evidence and can change anytime.

Breastfeeding

There is no reported risk with having COVID 19 vaccine while breastfeeding. Some specialist advises giving Pfizer BioNTech or Astra Zeneca COVID 19 vaccine to women who are breastfeeding because these vaccines were reported to be safe. As always, the developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding babies and the health risk of the mother should always be assessed by the doctor before the decision for vaccination is made.

Things that may cause severe side effects during vaccination

Giving over dosage of vaccine
Poor injection technique
Feeling unwell or fainting due to fear of injection or feeling nervous

All patients must be assessed by a qualified vaccinator prior to giving the vaccine.

Questions that you might want to ask

Are you due for any other vaccination in the next 7 days? Did you have other vaccination in the last 7 days? (The side effects of vaccination may increase because your body is still building immunity from the previous vaccination. The person can delay the COVID 19 vaccine or the other vaccine.
Do you have any allergies? (The vaccinator must be aware of the components of the vaccine to check if the patient is allergic to it.)
Have you had any episode of severe allergic reaction? (Please see anaphylaxis notes above)
For women: Are you pregnant? ( Please see pregnancy notes above)
Are you part of any COVID 19 trial? (People who volunteered as participants on any vaccine trial must speak to the trial coordinator prior to getting vaccination.)
Do you take any medications that reduce your immune system? (Please see immunosuppressant notes above)
Do you take any medication that thins your blood? (These patients might bleed during the injection so they need to stay for 15 minutes to make sure they are ok)
Have you experienced any COVID 19 virus symptoms in the last 28 days? (People who got infected will have activated immune response and might have increased side effects of vaccine.)

Specific questions for Astra Zeneca to monitor blood clots

Have you had any blood clotting issues?
Have you ever had pulmonary embolism (P.E), deep vein thrombosis (DVT)?

Symptoms of blood clots

Severe headache, unrelieved by over-the-counter pain medication.
Headache lasting for 4 days or more.
Headache that affects eyesight, consciousness or makes you confused.
Pin-prick bruising on the arm where the vaccine was injected.
Difficulty of breathing or breathlessness.

Just like all the other vaccines

The COVID 19 vaccine is going to cause a reaction to your body because that’s what a vaccine does. These reactions are called 'side effects'.

These side effects are mild and common; it is not going to cause serious damage and is not deadly.

Headache relieved by paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Fever.
Chills/shivering.
Painful joints or muscle ache.
Feeling fatigued.
Pain and/or numbness in the injected arm.