From cycling
When the new coronavirus pandemic hit last winter, everyone had countless questions and concerns: “How long will this last?” “Will I get sick?” “When will we get a vaccine?”
Now that the coronavirus vaccines are out, everyone has more questions: “Are they safe?” “Will they make me sick?” “How long will it stay that way?”
To answer your questions, we called on infectious disease researcher S. Wesley Long, MD, Ph.D., a clinical pathologist and microbiologist and at Houston Methodist, who has researched COVID-19 and its various new strains. and sports physician Kevin Bernstein. , MD, competitive cyclist and chief medical officer of Peaks Coaching Group, who researched the vaccines and created a webinar on COVID-19 vaccines for endurance athletes.
Here’s What You Should Know.
This is a situation that is developing rapidly. For the most current information, check out resources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regularly. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
Is It Safe To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine?
Yes. “We now have data from millions of people who have been vaccinated, and CDC data shows that serious allergic reactions are very, very rare,” says Long.
In particular, the latest CDC report (released Jan. 22, 2021) states that more than 4 million people in the United States have received Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine and anaphylaxis – the most troubling potential allergic reaction, which can be life-threatening – is in a high pace. of 2.5 cases per 1 million shots. A CDC report on the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine from earlier this month reported that anaphylaxis occurred at a slightly higher, but still very rare rate of 11.1 per 1 million vaccines.
“These reactions are incredibly rare, and are more common in people with a history of severe allergic reactions,” says Long. “Vaccination sites monitor people after the vaccine to make sure they don’t have a serious allergic reaction, which usually happens soon after the injection.” Medical personnel should be equipped to give an injection of epinephrine (similar to EpiPens for food and bee sting allergies) to anyone suspected of having a severe reaction.
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The biggest safety concern for most people is that the vaccine happened “ so quickly, ” Long says, because there is the impression that it was formulated in a year. It’s actually been over 20 years, Long says.
“The mRNA technology (used in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines) has been around since the late 1990s. Scientists have tried it for other viruses, with varying degrees of success. That experience helped refine and improve the technology. So the technology was already there. They just needed the sequence of the virus, which happened in January, to start working on it for this coronavirus. All the money and resources put into development because of the pandemic allowed it to move forward very quickly. But this technology is not brand new, ”says Long.
If you are immunocompromised, you can consult your doctor before getting vaccinated, but the CDC says people with autoimmune diseases or who are otherwise immunocompromised can receive the COVID-19 vaccine, provided they have no other reasons to not to do so, such as if you have a history of severe allergic reactions.
Can the vaccine make you sick?
No. None of the approved vaccinations use a live virus. All the responses you may experience are your immune system doing its job, Long says.
“Once you get a vaccine, your immune system starts to react, which is really hard to predict and varies from person to person,” he says. Some people feel drowsy for a day or two. You may have a mild fever. You may experience muscle pain or fatigue. It can hurt where you took the shot. You can get a headache. All of that just means that the vaccine is doing its job. “
Anecdotally, people seem more likely to feel these symptoms after the second, booster shoot, both Bernstein and Long say, probably because your body then kicks its immunity into high gear to kick it off. While the side effects are not pleasant, they are better than getting COVID-19.
Importantly, if you don’t feel any side effects, it doesn’t mean the shot didn’t work. “You can have a good immune response to the vaccine without feeling bad,” says Long.
Will the vaccine change my DNA?
No. This question is circulating because the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines.
“MRNA is the messenger that sends instructions from your DNA to other parts of the cell to make proteins. mRNA is not transcribed back into DNA and introduced into our genome in our cells. That is not the natural information flow, ”says Long.
So in the case of these vaccines, scientists have produced a synthetic version of the mRNA that the virus uses to build its spike protein. You get that mRNA injected into your deltoid muscle, and those muscle cells make the virus’s peak protein. Your immune cells recognize that those cells have a peak protein and launch a response from the immune system to get rid of them, and to remember what that peak protein looks like next time.
“It’s a very robust natural response that resembles what would happen with an actual infection,” says Long. “The nice thing about this vaccine is that it is very easy to make changes and synthesize mRNA, so this type of vaccine is easy to adapt if we have to respond to a new variant on the road.”
The proteins never collect to form a real virus, so you can’t get sick from the coronavirus right away, Bernstein explains. “If you think of the virus as a Mustang, the mRNA is the instruction booklet on how to make a hood emblem,” he says. Your body recognizes the entire virus (or Mustang) from just that distinctive part (the emblem) and makes the immunity tools it needs to dismantle it on the spot.
So the vaccine is safe and will not alter your DNA in any way. As with all vaccines, you may experience some symptoms when your immune system triggers a response. (See above for details on those responses.)
The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and the soon to be released John & Johnson vaccines are viral vector vaccines. That means the vaccine uses a safe, modified version of the virus (also called the vector), in this case the spike proteins found on the surface of the coronavirus. That vector is injected, and your body builds an immune response, which it remembers when it encounters those spike proteins on the actual virus down the road. These also do not change your DNA. Viral vector technology isn’t new either; it has been around since the 70’s.
Is the vaccine free?
The withdrawal itself is covered by US taxpayers, so technically you’ve already paid for it, and yes, it’s essentially free for everyone. That said, vaccine providers may charge an administration fee for giving the injection. These costs can be reimbursed by the insurance. Uninsured persons can get the expenses covered by the Provider Relief Fund from the Health Resources and Services Administration. No one can be refused a vaccine if they cannot afford it.
How long does the vaccine last?
That has yet to be determined, but so far the immune system response appears to be sustained, Long says. “The latest data is six months old and most people are still well protected from the vaccination. We’ll know more as time goes on, and they keep reaching out to people from the clinical trials. “
Can I drive after receiving the vaccine?
Yes. “I did a zone 3, sweet spot ride on the trainer the next day and felt completely fine,” said Bernstein. You probably don’t want to plan an epic adventure the next day or two in case you feel crappy. But unlike exercising with COVID-19, which can be unsafe, there is no health risk if you exercise after you have been vaccinated.
Should I get the vaccine if I’ve already had COVID?
Yes. The CDC recommends that even people who have already fallen ill with COVID-19 get vaccinated, as it’s unclear how long natural immunity lasts and / or whether it’s based on the severity of your disease.
“Immunity from the vaccine appears to be stronger for many people than post-infection, and may last longer,” says Long.
Am I immune to COVID after getting the vaccine?
Not immediately. “It takes a few weeks after the first injection to see a rise in antibodies and you don’t get full protection until a week or two after the second vaccine. [which is 21 to 28 days later depending upon the type of vaccine], ”Says Long.
“I know people who got COVID between their first and second dose,” says Long. The vaccine will also prevent you from getting very sick, but not necessarily catching the disease and having mild symptoms or being asymptomatic.
Also, the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are about 95 percent effective, which is very high, but not 100 percent. (The yet-to-be-released Johnson & Johnson vaccine is reportedly 85 percent effective against serious illness and 66 percent effective at preventing moderate to severe infection.) So there will still be a small number of people who still have the virus after they have been fully vaccinated.
Can I stop wearing a mask after getting the vaccine?
Not yet. (We know. We know. We’re excited too.) Again, the effects of the vaccines are not immediate. So you are only protected a few weeks after your booster shot. And even then, if you’ve been vaccinated but not others, you may still pick up the virus and infect them, Long says.
So we’ll have to take the usual protective measures – masking, distancing ourselves, and washing our hands – until the introduction of the vaccine allows us to achieve “herd immunity,” the point where enough of us are immunized to stop the spread. Things will hopefully continue to improve from spring and summer through early fall if estimates remain on track, Long says.
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Originally published