COVID-19 Vaccines, How were they made so fast ?

That's me , I got my second dose of a covid-19 vaccine. I did well with both injections. I did not get sick after the first injection. The night after the second injection, I had a mild headache and felt tired the next day.  On the third day after the injection, I returned to feeling like my normal self. I continue to be well today. 

​​Summary of COVID-19 VIRUS
Sars Cov-2 Virus is a new virus which causes the covid-19 infection. This virus has spread throughout the entire world causing it to be considered a pandemic. This new viral infection is spread as respiratory droplets. The droplets infect the lungs of those exposed.  There is no known cure for the virus. Initially social distancing, wearing of a mask, hand washing, and quarantining have been the only measures to decrease the overall rates of infection in many communities.  Persons with certain medical conditions are at increased risk of severe illness and death due to covid-19 include cancer, chronic kidney disease, down syndrome, heart conditions, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, type 2 diabetes, and sickle cell.  Risk for covid-19 also increases steadily as one ages over the age of 65 years of age. In addition, due to poor access to healthcare and social inequities, racial and ethnic minority groups are at increased risk of getting severe illness and dying from covid-19. Currently, Black and Brown people and people of color of a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences have been disproportionately affected due to the virus with increase illness and death rates although they make up small portion of the population of the US.  Factors that contribute to this increased risk are due to discrimination, poor healthcare access, occupations as frontline workers, income inequities, and for some the likelihood of more likely living in crowded conditions.  Scientists all over the world have been working to create a vaccine to promote immunity to the virus because there is no cure for the virus. There are FDA approved vaccines available in the US now and the distribution process is ongoing. The vaccines are approved for adults and teens above the age of 16.

Summary of COVID-19 VIRUS
Sars Cov-2 Virus is a new virus which causes the covid-19 infection. This virus has spread throughout the entire world causing it to be considered a pandemic. This new viral infection is spread as respiratory droplets. The droplets infect the lungs of those exposed.  There is no known cure for the virus. Initially social distancing, wearing of a mask, hand washing, and quarantining have been the only measures to decrease the overall rates of infection in many communities.  Persons with certain medical conditions are at increased risk of severe illness and death due to covid-19 include cancer, chronic kidney disease, down syndrome, heart conditions, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, type 2 diabetes, and sickle cell.  Risk for covid-19 also increases steadily as one ages over the age of 65 years of age. In addition, due to poor access to healthcare and social inequities, racial and ethnic minority groups are at increased risk of getting severe illness and dying from covid-19. Currently, Black and Brown people and people of color of a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences have been disproportionately affected due to the virus with increase illness and death rates although they make up small portion of the population of the US.  Factors that contribute to this increased risk are due to discrimination, poor healthcare access, occupations as frontline workers, income inequities, and for some the likelihood of more likely living in crowded conditions.  Scientists all over the world have been working to create a vaccine to promote immunity to the virus because there is no cure for the virus. There are FDA approved vaccines available in the US now and the distribution process is ongoing. The vaccines are approved for adults and teens above the age of 16.
Summary of COVID-19 VIRUS
Sars Cov-2 Virus is a new virus which causes the covid-19 infection. This virus has spread throughout the entire world causing it to be considered a pandemic. This new viral infection is spread as respiratory droplets. The droplets infect the lungs of those exposed.  There is no known cure for the virus. Initially social distancing, wearing of a mask, hand washing, and quarantining have been the only measures to decrease the overall rates of infection in many communities.  Persons with certain medical conditions are at increased risk of severe illness and death due to covid-19 include cancer, chronic kidney disease, down syndrome, heart conditions, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, type 2 diabetes, and sickle cell.  Risk for covid-19 also increases steadily as one ages over the age of 65 years of age. In addition, due to poor access to healthcare and social inequities, racial and ethnic minority groups are at increased risk of getting severe illness and dying from covid-19. Currently, Black and Brown people and people of color of a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences have been disproportionately affected due to the virus with increase illness and death rates although they make up small portion of the population of the US.  Factors that contribute to this increased risk are due to discrimination, poor healthcare access, occupations as frontline workers, income inequities, and for some the likelihood of more likely living in crowded conditions.  Scientists all over the world have been working to create a vaccine to promote immunity to the virus because there is no cure for the virus. There are FDA approved vaccines available in the US now and the distribution process is ongoing. The vaccines are approved for adults and teens above the age of 16.

Summary of COVID-19 VIRUS
Sars Cov-2 Virus is a new virus which causes the covid-19 infection. This virus has spread throughout the entire world causing it to be considered a pandemic. This new viral infection is spread as respiratory droplets. The droplets infect the lungs of those exposed.  There is no known cure for the virus. Initially social distancing, wearing of a mask, hand washing, and quarantining have been the only measures to decrease the overall rates of infection in many communities.  Persons with certain medical conditions are at increased risk of severe illness and death due to covid-19 include cancer, chronic kidney disease, down syndrome, heart conditions, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, type 2 diabetes, and sickle cell.  Risk for covid-19 also increases steadily as one ages over the age of 65 years of age. In addition, due to poor access to healthcare and social inequities, racial and ethnic minority groups are at increased risk of getting severe illness and dying from covid-19. Currently, Black and Brown people and people of color of a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences have been disproportionately affected due to the virus with increase illness and death rates although they make up small portion of the population of the US.  Factors that contribute to this increased risk are due to discrimination, poor healthcare access, occupations as frontline workers, income inequities, and for some the likelihood of more likely living in crowded conditions.  Scientists all over the world have been working to create a vaccine to promote immunity to the virus because there is no cure for the virus. There are FDA approved vaccines available in the US now and the distribution process is ongoing. The vaccines are approved for adults and teens above the age of 16.
Symptoms of covid-19 infection:
fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body, headache, new loss of taste, or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea
 
How were the FDA approved Covid-19 vaccinations been developed so fast and are they safe?

1.  The genetic code of the Covid-19 was determined very early on in the investigation period of the novel virus. 
2. We had relatively new technology the mRNA process to obtain a portion of the genetic code to copy, mass produce from the genetic code of the covid-19 virus.  The usual process of making a vaccine includes inactivating the virus and use portions of it to introduce to our system, weaken the virus so it is not infective or using another virus that does not harm us as a carrier for the weakened virus. These methods have been used to introduce a protein particle into the body and the body makes antibodies against it. The production of antibodies allows the body t have immunity for at this point an unknown amount of time.
3. Funding was available and collaboration occurred nationally and internationally.
4. Phased trials (1,2,3) took place in the usual timing and fashion. No short cuts were taken throughout the clinical trials for the EUA FDA approved vaccines.
5. Regulatory red tape was avoided to allow the vaccines to get Emergency Use authorization and proceed forward to allow for mass production.
6. Money was available at all levels. 

Due to collaboration of labs, scientists, and companies, with no issue to find money to bill roll the development, production and clinical trials, the development of the vaccines took 10 months versus usual 3-10 years. The usual lengthy duration to create a vaccine in the past was due to the search for funding for each step of development and to find volunteers to become participants in the clinical trials. The vaccines are considered safe because they all went through 3 phases of trials on 40,000 plus participants.  They were both found to be 95% and 94% effective, respectively. The benefits associated with the clinical trials of many of the new covid-19 vaccines include broad testing on a wider demographic of volunteer participants, and large participant size.
 
How do the vaccinations work to allow a person to be immune to the covid-19 virus ? What are the contents of the vaccines?
The first two vaccines being provided in the US are Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. They are both messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccinations. This technology is not new, but it has never been used in any FDA approved licensed preventative vaccine. The process has gone through clinical trials for pervious investigational studies and found to be useful. It is 15-year-old process of taking a snippet of the DNA code for the spike protein of the coronavirus surface.  This mRNA data when introduced to human cells, our body can produce antibodies to the spike protein, which allows our immune system to recognize the virus if it ever knocks on our door in the future.  This technology does not change or disturb our genetic code.
The contents of the Moderna vaccine include the mRNA, lipids(fat), polyethylene glycol, sucrose, cholesterol, acetic acid, sodium acetate.
The contents of the Pfizer vaccine include mRNA, lipid, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, sucrose, and phosphates.
 
The vaccinations are given in a 2-dose series 21 days or 28 days apart. The new vaccine on the rise may be a 1 dose series. Be aware that once vaccinated you may still possibly get the infection and be an asymptomatic carrier. It is important to still wear a mask and continue preventative measures. 
The vaccines are considered safe due to the rigorous clinical trials, it is highly efficacious, and the risk of taking the vaccine is less than getting the covid-19 infection which has significant risk for severe illness, long-term co-morbidities, and death.
 
Children are not approved for the vaccine at this time. The initial clinical trials did not include children. Once the vaccines were EUA FDA approved plans to do trials on children have begun. Moderna is approved for 18 years of age and above and Pfizer is approved for 16 years of age and above to date.
How will everyone in the world obtain a vaccine?
  Countries are purchasing vaccines for their individual populations in parcels.  Developing nations are also purchasing vaccines for their citizens. The rates thus far vary . Many small countries  have received donations of vaccines from other countries. The  WHO (world health organization) and COVAX groups are lobbying for developing nations to buy approved vaccines collectively at a lower cost. The WHO has made a call for vaccine equity and vaccine sharing from developed nations to developing nations. This effort is meant to help stem the tide of the worldwide covid=19 pandemic quicker. 
What is heard immunity and why is this so important?
Heard immunity is a collective benefit achieved when 60-80% of one population in one region is vaccinated. This provides protection for the rest of the population who are unable to receive the vaccine due to their own inherent poor immunity.
 
What are the new Covid-10 virus variants and are they of concern?
The new Covid-19 variants are from the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. All viruses from time to time mutate to survive and avoid being destroyed.  These variants are of concern because they are 1 & ½ times more virulent and infectious than the current strain of covid-19. The vaccination rollout needs to be as fast as possible before the new variants take hold of a large portion of the population.  The variants of COVID 19 all have the same spike protein on the surface. Thus far the current vaccines are found to provide some immunity most likely against these variants.

How does covid-19 virus affect children? 
Most children have not found to be affected by the virus. They may be asymptomatic carriers. Children are often exposed to the common cold which is a mild type of coronavirus. For that reason, children may have some immunity to covid-19 coronavirus.   There have been a few cases of a rare complication of covid-19 found in children only, called Multi-syndrome inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). It looks like a common disorder found in children called Kawasaki syndrome except the children have a mild covid-19 viral illness or exposure to a person with covid-19. This syndrome can be serious or deadly, but most children get better with medical care.
MIS-C signs and symptoms:
Fever, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash (petechial), bloodshot eyes, or feeling extra tired.

A side note, since many children have pets, thus far there have been no studies to show that pets can infect the family with covid-19, but pets can become infected form family members who are ill at home.
 
 Children are not approved for the covid-19 vaccine at this time. The initial clinical trials did not include children. Once the vaccines were EUA FDA approved plans to do trials on children have begun. Moderna is approved for 18 years of age and above and Pfizer is approved for 16-year-old and above to date.
 
 
Best practices to prevent infection of covid-19 no matter if a person is fully vaccinated include:

• Wearing single or double mask, it must cover the nose
• Handwashing 20 seconds or more
• Use hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol or more if not able to wash hands
• Social distance when in crowds, remain 6 ft apart or two arm’s length away from persons in crowds
• Avoid crowds
• Eat a diet that includes fruit and vegetables with each meal
• Get un exposure to increase vitamin D
• Keep hydrated with water
• Get good sleep 7-8 hour for adults 10-12 hours for kid less than 17 years of age
• Keep chronic medical diseases controlled

 
Can complementary and alternative medicine prevent covid-19 infection?
The NCCIH, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports there is no complementary or alternative medicine or supplement that can prevent or cure COVID-19.  Prevention of excess inflammation, and excess  stress hormones and healthy diet always help keep our immune system supported but they do not prevent covid-19 infection.  Proper sleep, a healthy diet full of variety, and supplements if your diet is not optimal such as vitamin D, vitamin C, and a multivitamin once a day are good options.  Please consult with your doctor before using any supplement, vitamin, or herb.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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