COVID VACCINATION

By: Faye Lean C. Sumalinog

9 - Annunciation

Which is better brand for vaccinations and how will they protect us against the disease?

There are more vaccine candidates simultaneously in the pipeline for COVID-19 than ever
before for an infectious disease. All of them are trying to achieve the same thing – immunity to
the virus, and some might also be able to stop transmission. They do so by stimulating an
immune response to an antigen, a molecule found on the virus. In the case of COVID-19, the
antigen is typically the characteristic spike protein found on the surface of the virus, which it
normally uses to help it invade human cells.

Many conventional vaccines use whole viruses to trigger an immune response. There are two
main approaches. Live attenuated vaccines use a weakened form of the virus that can still
replicate without causing illness. Inactivated vaccines use viruses whose genetic material has
been destroyed so they cannot replicate, but can still trigger an immune response. Both types
use well-established technology and pathways for regulatory approval, but live attenuated ones
may risk causing disease in people with weak immune systems and often require careful cold
storage, making their use more challenging in low-resource countries. Inactivated virus vaccines
can be given to people with compromised immune systems but might also need cold storage.
Subunit vaccines use pieces of the pathogen - often fragments of protein - to trigger an immune
response. Doing so minimises the risk of side effects, but it also means the immune response
may be weaker. This is why they often require adjuvants, to help boost the immune response.
An example of an existing subunit vaccine is the hepatitis B vaccine.

After you've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautions in
public places like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and
poorly ventilated spaces until we know more. Many people who get vaccinated against COVID-
19 are experiencing side effects in one form or another — some develop a slight fever, others
get a headache, feel nauseous, or are bogged down with fatigue. Here are the common
question that people usually ask , “After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, will I test positive for
COVID-19 on a viral test?” well according to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, they
said No. Neither the recently authorized and recommended vaccines nor the other COVID-19
vaccines currently in clinical trials in the United States can cause you to test positive on viral
tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection. If your body develops an immune
response—the goal of vaccination—there is a possibility you may test positive on some
antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate you had a previous infection and that you may have
some level of protection against the virus. Experts are currently looking at how COVID-19
vaccination may affect antibody testing results.

To sum up, during this time of pandemic, Businesses and Governments around the world need
to prepare to live with Covid-19, accepting that the virus won’t disappear but equally that
lockdowns cannot go on forever once. In order to fight this, we need to cooperate and be
productive by staying healthy. Staying at home during COVID-19 doesn’t have to be boring and
uneventful; Use this time to cross things off your never-ending to-do list; Stay productive, busy
and safe by accomplishing a new, productive task each day and spend your time with yourself
and to your family.