Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine explained
The Pfizer published COVID-19 vaccine in the United Kingdom on December 10th making it the envy of the rest of the world. The company made 800,000 doses available initially to the UK and the hope of life getting back to normal in 12 months’ time is high.
Although there is a lot of hope on the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and the public should believe in tests fully. There are still plenty of challenges that lay ahead and individuals should know it. They have to stay 2 meters away from each other and wear masks. The Pfizer COVID-19 medication is the fastest vaccine for pandemic. There are a lot of questions still around it as expectations grow over the vaccine getting the world back to normal.
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Why was the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine developed so quickly?
The vaccine took just 10 months to follow along the same route that other vaccines normally take and this fact is little bit worrying for patients. Most vaccines take around 10 years to go through development to market and they barely make it until the end.
What these individuals do not understand is that the experts put time, money and effort to develop the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Science gave another level of dedication and knowledge to the plate. We got incredible results in the end.
The Ebola crisis was the first catalyst and everyone were ready for this kind of situation. Experts in medicine knew that there would be another pandemic period. We all need vaccines and treatment as fast as possible. The world has to act quickly in cases of medical emergencies. With the possibility of a virus – like Ebola or coronavirus – capable of spreading around the world quickly, creating a pandemic, emergency funding procedures are already influential. Lots of companies invested money to develop the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and others that will hit the market. Previously medicine companies never took the emergency funds’ money for vaccine development and it’s reality.
What is the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine?
The Pfizer COVID-19 is a mRNA vaccine. The vaccine uses the coronavirus’s genetic code. Medical personal will inject it into patients. The vaccine enters the cells and enables them to create antigens. Body’s immune system will recognize these antigens, allowing it to fight against the coronavirus.
The vaccine is a two-dose medication. This means that patients will need to get injection twice to fully protect them from the coronavirus. Care home staff, residents in care homes, and people over the age of 75 are the initial groups to receive the vaccine in the UK. Other countries will give out the drug with their own plan on which individuals receive it first.
How does the vaccine work?
Countries require patients to take two Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine injections. Patient has to take jab 21 days apart to work properly. The second jab is a booster to improve the initial dose’s potency. The first dose will kickstart the body’s immunity to coronavirus. However, the vaccine does not reach its full effectiveness until the second shot.
Once the first dose is taken, it is likely that patients will feel fatigue. This side effect is proof that the vaccine is working as the body develops the antigens to fight against coronavirus. Most side effects that occur are mild and go away within a few days. Side effects did not occur in all individuals. Patients report fatigue and headaches after the second dose. People also feel muscle pain and pain at the site of the injection, similar to a traditional flu shot.
The mRNA vaccine can be created without the coronavirus being present. Therefore, the production rate of the vaccine is not good at this point. Experts suggest that they can create vaccines based on mRNA quickly and stop new outbreaks of infectious diseases. Professional working on vaccine can modify and change structure and system of the jab.
Perhaps the only downside to the vaccine currently is low temperature of storage. Countries have to keep the Pfizer vaccine at –70 degrees Celsius.
Watch 5 minutes video explaining how Pfizer works
How effective is COVID-19 vaccine?
One of the biggest question is whether vaccine stops spread, because it’s the biggest issues. We still don’t know exactly whether people can give covid to another after the injection. Some fear that vaccinated individuals can still carry the virus but simply not show symptoms. Therefore, these people would infect others. It is currently too early to know if this is true.
In addition, it is unknown if the Pfizer jab will last long-term or if patients will need to take a booster in the future as well. There is a belief that people, especially the vulnerable, will need the vaccine each year, just like they would be for the flu.
The World Health Organization stated that 50% efficacy is the very minimum that an acceptable coronavirus vaccine should be. Pfizer’s is 95% effective independent medical experts suggest, and it means that WHO’s threshold is easy.
While there are those claiming the vaccine won’t work or will be inefficient, we should note one thing. The flu vaccine is only 40% to 60% effective. In an attempt to get the world back to where it was pre-COVID-19, the Pfizer vaccine gives the world its first potential way to return to normality. Until further results, pregnant women and kids under 16-years-old has to avoid vaccine. The vaccine has not been tested on pregnant women yet
MD Perry Wilson explains efficiency of Pfizer vaccine
Will you be protected?
Not everyone can get a protection from the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Around 20,000 people got the vaccine during trials with eight of them contracting COVID-19. However, just one became seriously ill from the virus.
During the trial, 163 people became ill after receiving the placebo. Nine of those people became seriously ill. Pfizer is still studying why those given the vaccine still contracted coronavirus.