The COVID 19 VACCINE and 7 things you should know about it.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-COV-2 (a new type of coronavirus). Although this virus can cause mild to moderate illness in most people, the virus also causes life threatening pneumonia and death especially with patients with underlying health conditions.

The CDC recommends that the best way to stop or slow down the spread of COVID-19 is to wear a mask, stay at least 6ft away from others, avoid crowds. Better hygiene such as consistent hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 secs, or the use of hand sanitizing is recommended.

Since the outbreak of this virus in China late December 2019, the coronavirus appears to cause higher rate of severe illness and death, that is why there is an urgent need to create herd immunity from COVID-19 and put an end to the pandemic ravaging the world. Herd immunity is the point at which enough people are protected against the disease that it cannot spread through the population. The best hope to achieve this and put an end the pandemic is to produce safe and effective vaccines.

The purpose of the COVID-19 vaccine is to prevent you from getting COVID-19 or dying due to COVID-19 infection. It should also prevent you from spreading the COVID-19 virus to others, which stops the virus from replicating and possibly mutating to become resistant to vaccines. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues authorizing emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, you likely have questions.

We have curated the below answers to the frequently asked questions about the vaccine and what you need to know about the Covid-19 virus:

Which Covid-19 vaccine is available and approved?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given emergency use authorization of different vaccines for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. These vaccines include Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Moderna vaccine, and Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine.

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine; the efficacy rate of this vaccine is 95%. This means about 95% of the people that take this vaccine are protected from the virus. It is administered intramuscularly and requires two injections given 21 days apart. The vaccine is recommended for people aged 16+.

Moderna Vaccine; the efficacy rate of this vaccine is 94.1%. It is administered intramuscularly and requires two injections given 28 days apart. The vaccine is recommended for people aged 18+.

The J&J vaccine; efficacy rate of 85%. It is administered intramuscularly and requires a single dose injection. The vaccine is recommended for people aged 18+.

How do the vaccines work?

Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are mRNA vaccines. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give cells instructions for how to make a harmless piece of an S protein which is the same as the coronavirus’s protein. These S proteins have a spike-like structure on their surface. After vaccination, your cells begin making the protein pieces and displaying them on cell surfaces. The immune system will recognize that the protein does not belong there and begin building an immune response and making antibodies. Whereas the J&J vaccine uses the more traditional virus-based technology. Instead of using mRNA, this vaccine uses a disabled adenovirus to deliver the instructions. Although it can deliver instructions on how to defeat the coronavirus, it can’t replicate in your body and will not give you a viral infection.

Is the second dose needed?

Depending on the specific vaccine you get, a second shot 3–4 weeks after your first shot is needed to get the most protection the vaccine has to offer against this serious virus. The J&J vaccines requires a single shot.

Can a COVID-19 vaccine give me COVID?

No. None of the authorized and recommended vaccines being developed contain the live virus that causes Covid-19. The different type of vaccines authorized teach our immune system to recognize and fight the COVID-19 virus, although you might experience symptoms like fever, which is normal as the body is building immunity against the virus. However, it takes a few weeks for the body to build up an immunity after vaccination against the virus, so there could be possibility of infection with the virus before or just after taking the vaccine.

Will a COVID-19 vaccination protect me from getting sick with COVID?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccination works by teaching your immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19, and this protects you from getting sick with COVID-19. Vaccine manufacturers are also looking into creating booster shots to improve protection against variants.

What are the possible side effects of COVID-19 vaccine?

Don’t fret! Side effects are actually signs that the vaccine is working. Here are a list of side effect you can experience after the first or second shot of the vaccine: Pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given, Fever, Fatigue, Headache, Muscle pain, Chills, Joint pain.

Although you’ll likely be monitored for 10 -15 minutes after getting a COVID-19 vaccine to see if you have an immediate reaction, most side effects happen within the first three days after vaccination and might last for 1–2 days. The side effects are always similar to signs and symptoms of COVID-19. If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 and you develop symptoms more than three days after getting vaccinated or the symptoms last more than two days, it is advisable to self-isolate and get tested again.

Can I Stop taking Safety Precautions after getting a Covid-19 Vaccine?

Experts want to learn more about the protection that the COVID-19 vaccines provide and how long immunity lasts before changing safety recommendations. In the meantime, the CDC recommends that people still follow the normal safety precautions which include staying home when you are sick, maintaining the two meter social distance, keeping good physical hygiene (washing your hands for at least 20 seconds regularly), wearing face masks.

How to can I get the Vaccine in Nigeria?

The country has received about 3.9 million vaccines of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. This is part of the 16million doses being expected by COVAX (a global scheme formed to ensure fair access to inoculations for low-and middle-income states) by the end of the year.
The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) announced that people can now register through their website to collect the vaccine. The government plans to deploy five different ways or strategy for Nigerians to get the Covid-19 vaccine:

· Traditional Vaccination Campaign Roll-out.

· Electronic Self-Registration by Eligible Nigerians.

· Assisted Electronic Registration of Eligible Nigerians.

· Concomitant Vaccination alongside Electronic Registration.

· House-to-House Electronic Registration