COVID-19 Vaccines

The vaccine against COVID-19

Based on the scientific information of each of the vaccines already authorized by emergency against COVID-19, it indicates that they can prevent severe forms or those that require hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2 infection by almost 100%. p>

Increase the number of people in the community who are protected from contracting COVID-19. Prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from spreading and replicating, allowing it to mutate and possibly become more resistant to vaccines.

• The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 95% effective after the second dose in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. This vaccine is for people over 16 years of age. It is composed of two doses that are applied 21 days apart
• The Moderna vaccine is 94.5% effective after the second dose in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. This vaccine is for people over 18 years of age. It is made up of two doses that are applied 28 days apart.
• The Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 66% effective after the second dose in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. This vaccine is for people over 18 years of age. It is made up of one dose.
• The AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine is 63% effective after the second dose in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. This vaccine is for people over 18 years of age. It is made up of two doses that are applied 21 days apart.
• The Sputnik V vaccine is 92.0% effective after the second dose in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. This vaccine is for people over 18 years of age. It is made up of two doses that are applied 21 days apart.

These vaccines are authorized as an emergency, the vaccination process in general takes years in its different phases but due to the pandemic situation these have been shortened, the urgent points in this process were the documentation requested for the administrative part, the time to obtain financing, these were all urgent procedures, the time it took to register patients was incredibly fast.

Follow-up was as meticulous as with any other vaccine and there is now data from several months of follow-up of patients who received the vaccine or the placebo.

The side effects of vaccines are generally local and mild, such as pain at the site of application, fever, chills, myalgias and arthralgias. There is an extremely low percentage of allergic reactions and this will have to do with certain components of each vaccine and the predisposition of each person.

The COVID-19 vaccines were developed based on the S protein, before it had the mutations identified in these variants. Vaccines protect against COVID 19 in severe forms.

No.
It is important to maintain preventive measures before and after the vaccine, since to be protected you need to first comply with the complete schedule of each brand of vaccine against COVID-19 and secondly allow our immune system to generate antibodies.

A COVID-19 vaccine may have mild side effects after the first or second dose. Among them:

• Pain, redness, or swelling where the injection was given
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Goosebumps
• Joint pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• General malaise
• Swollen lymph nodes

Normally they keep you under surveillance for 15 to 30 minutes after the vaccine is administered to see if you have an immediate reaction. Mild side effects may last one to two days.

If you detect any other symptoms other than those mentioned, it is important to notify your doctor.

Allergic reactions occur after application of the COVID-19 vaccine an average of four hours after receiving the first dose of the vaccine, which can present as:

• Constant wheezing or shortness of breath.
• Swelling of the lips, eyes, or tongue.
• Redness, swelling, or itching in areas of the body other than the arm where the vaccine was given.
• If you have signs of an allergic reaction, seek care immediately.
• Tell your doctor about the reaction, even if it has gone away or you did not need emergency care.

Yes, of course, there is no contraindication for the administration of analgesics.

Vaccines rarely cause long-term side effects.

Based on scientific evidence to date, no long-term side effects have been found, but since they are emergency authorized vaccines, this continues to be monitored.

If you like you can find information at (https://vaers.hhs.gov/data.html). Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System

What has been observed in the databases at a global level are:

• People over 75 years of age
• More controlled diabetics
• More controlled hypertensives
• Heart disease
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Immunosuppression Diseases
• People with obesity
• Asthmatics

If you have a history of severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylactic shock to any component of the vaccine that you are going to receive against COVID-19, it is advisable not to apply.

If you have a history of a mild allergic reaction to other vaccines, it is important that you notify the person in charge of administering the vaccine so that they can monitor you for 30 minutes.

Yes, if you have a pre-existing medical condition you can receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as long as you have not had an allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine or any of its ingredients. However, there is little information about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in people who have a weakened immune system or autoimmune conditions.

There is no research on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant or breastfeeding women. But if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and are part of a group recommended to get a COVID-19 vaccine, you may choose to get it. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.

So far, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for use from 2 years of age.

Having had COVID-19 may offer some protection or natural immunity against reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19. But scientific studies show that the vaccine confers greater protection against COVID-19.

It is recommended that in order to be able to apply the COVID-19 vaccine in mild forms, 14 days have passed since the onset of symptoms and in severe forms up to 30 days.