Investigating the COVID-19 Vaccine: Essential Facts You Need to Understand
The race to develop COVID-19 vaccines has been a global priority, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) giving "fast-track" designation to some vaccines in the works. This doesn't mean that any steps have been short-circuited or skipped altogether, but rather that the process is expedited to bring vaccines to market as quickly as possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that instances of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines are rare and comparable to those reported for other vaccines. Vaccine administration sites, doctor's offices, and pharmacies have safeguards in place in case an allergic reaction occurs.
The development of vaccines has been hailed as the greatest gain in infectious diseases in this century by Dr. Nasia Safdar, the medical director of infection control at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. This is evident in the success of the two COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States: the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna vaccine. Both require two shots several weeks apart, and have an effectiveness rate of about 95 percent once you're 2 weeks out from receiving that second shot.
Despite the availability of these vaccines, vaccine hesitancy remains a significant concern. Identified by the World Health Organization as one of the greatest public health threats of the next 10 years and beyond, vaccine hesitancy can hinder the achievement of herd immunity. To achieve herd immunity for a virus and offer protection to the remainder of folks out there, generally about 70 to 90 percent of a population needs to be immune to infection.
In the US, 60 percent of Americans would definitely or probably get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Pew Research Center poll in December 2020. This number had increased from 51 percent in September, indicating a growing acceptance of the vaccines. However, vaccine hesitancy remains a concern, and it's important to consider whether a source is reliable and impartial when evaluating vaccine information.
The FDA requires drug developers to adhere to a strict process for regulating vaccines. The CDC has released a report now that more than 22 million people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. The report shows the vaccines are safe and associated with few serious side effects. Serious side effects from vaccines, although not zero, are extremely rare.
It's worth noting that the FDA is pushing vaccines to the top of the review queue, rather than having them in the usual flow of putting things in a queue and reviewing them when they come to that spot. This expedited review process is intended to bring vaccines to market as quickly as possible, while ensuring their safety and effectiveness.
Looking back, we can see the ravages that preventable diseases cause. Before 1963, nearly all children got the measles by the time they were 15. The fact that we have this highly effective vaccine has meant the difference between kids living with measles and dying of measles. COVID-19 was the leading cause of death in the United States for 2020, underscoring the importance of vaccination.
In a perfect world, we wouldn't have a pandemic on our hands. But in the reality we face, the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines offers hope for a return to normalcy. It's up to each of us to do our part in getting vaccinated and helping to achieve herd immunity.
