FAQ’s on Covid-19 Vaccine
- Why is vaccination not provided to children who are the usual target?
• Covid-19 affects all age groups, however, the morbidity & mortality is several times higher in adults particularly in those above the age of 50 years. Children are either asymptomatic or have mild infections.
The general practice is to first evaluate any new vaccine in older population and then age reduction is done to assess the safety and effectiveness in paediatric population. The currently available vaccines in the country have not been evaluated in children so far. There are some clinical trials now underway to test the effectiveness and safety of the Covid-19 vaccines in children.
2. Developing a vaccine takes years. But this time our scientists have developed a vaccine against the novel corona virus in such a short time. How was this possible?
• Developing a vaccine generally involves years of research. First, we need a vaccine candidate that is evaluated in animals for its safety and efficacy. After a vaccine candidate passes a pre-clinical trial, it enters the clinical trial phase. While scientists have worked round the clock in the laboratory, even regulatory approvals which used to take several months have been fast-tracked. It helped eliminate all the time lapses between the preclinical and clinical trial stages. Earlier, the vaccine development involved a series of steps, but in the case of the corona virus vaccine, scientists and regulators worked in tandem, accelerating the whole process without compromising on any protocols and any steps.
3. How long will I remain protected after vaccination?
• The longevity of the immune response in vaccinated individuals is yet to be determined. Hence, continuing the use of masks, hand washing, maintaining physical distance and other Covid-19 appropriate behaviours are strongly recommended.
4. Does vaccination protect me against newer strains/mutated virus of SARS-CoV2?
• The body responds to vaccination by making more than one type of antibody to virus parts including spike protein. Therefore, all vaccines are expected to provide reasonable amount of protection against the mutated virus also. Based on the available data, the mutations as reported are unlikely to make the vaccine ineffective.
5. Which vaccine is better between Covishield® / Covaxin®/Sputnik V?
•There is no head-to-head comparison done between the vaccines being used in India, so one cannot choose one over another. All vaccines would work well in preventing the infection as well as prevent a person from going into severe state of the disease. As a long-term effect, it would be preventing death for elderly people or those who have comorbidities.
6. In how many days will the vaccination create an adequate immune response and protection?
•Adequate immune response takes 2-3 weeks after completion of entire vaccination schedule i.e., after the second dose of COVISHIELD®, COVAXIN®, SPUTNIK V.
7. Do these vaccine provide herd immunity?
• When an increasing number of people get vaccinated in the community, indirect protection through herd immunity develops. The percentage of people who need to be immune in order to achieve herd immunity varies with each disease. For example, its 95% for measles, however, the proportion of the population that must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to begin inducing herd immunity is not known.
8. Which drug should be taken to minimise the adverse effects of this vaccine?
•In case of minor adverse effects such as injection site pain, tenderness, malaise, pyrexia, etc., paracetamol tablet may be used to alleviate the symptoms.
9. Claims on social media suggested that Covid-19 vaccine could affect female fertility. Is it true?
•Rumours or social media posts suggesting that Covid-19 vaccines could cause infertility are not true and totally baseless. Such rumours were floated in the past against other vaccines too for e.g. polio and measles. None of the available vaccines affects fertility. All vaccines and their constituents are tested first on animals and later in humans to assess if they have any such side effects. Vaccines are authorised for use only after their safety and efficacy is assured.
10. If I suffer from HTN/DM/CKD/heart disease/lipid disorders etc., can I safely take this vaccine?
• Overall, the vaccine is safe and efficacious in adults with co-morbidity. The maximum benefit of getting the Covid-19 vaccine is for those who have such co-morbidities. However, if you are concerned for any specific reason, please consult your doctor.
11. What medications should be avoided before taking Covid-19 vaccine and for how long?
•A person receiving aspirin, clopidogrel (both of these are anti-platelet agents) or other anticoagulants: The dose of that day should be taken after the vaccination. Patients on Vitamin K antagonist (VKA) should have an International Normalised Ratio (INR) less than 3 before administration of the vaccine. In all cases, application of firm pressure at the injection site for at least 5 minutes after the injection may be done to reduce the risk of haematoma formation.
12. I had Covid-19 infection and was treated, why should I receive vaccine?
•Development of immunity or duration of protection after Covid-19 exposure is not established therefore it is recommended to receive vaccine even after Covid-19 infection. Individuals who are yet to receive Covid-19 vaccine or persons having laboratory test proven SARS-CoV-2 illness should defer the Covid-19 vaccination till 12 weeks after recovery. Individuals who have received at least the first dose and develop SARS-CoV-2 infection before completion of the dosing schedule should wait for 12 weeks after clinical recovery from Covid-19 illness.
Grace and Care Foundation, Nagaland in association with WHO, Country Office India
