Coronavirus (Covid-19) has infected millions in Nepal alone and nearly 10,000 have died. The economic, social, and psychological impact of the Corona situation is even more devastating. And, there is no way to get rid of Corona for some time yet. In such cases, everyone's eyes are on the vaccine to prevent corona infection.
The pace at which vaccines have evolved is nothing short of a scientific miracle in itself. The vaccine was developed less than a year after the first coronavirus was discovered in China. Companies involved in vaccine development used their own methods, tested in different environments, and accordingly came up with different data on efficacy. Vaccine development has been made a matter of prestige by powerful nations. Even now, they are trying to increase their influence in world politics through vaccination diplomacy.
Just as coronavirus rumors have spread, so have rumors and misconceptions about vaccines. For this, social media has been used more. We, who are accustomed to evaluating the market for everything, naturally came up with the question of which vaccine is the most reliable. Let's talk about corona and vaccines.
To understand which vaccine is best, it is first necessary to know how the vaccine works. What happens to the virus before that? How does the infection occur? And, how does our resistance work? It is important to understand that.
Viruses are very subtle. The structure of the virus can be compared to that of lychee fruit. Just as lychees have different sheets, the virus also has shells made up of different proteins, and the innermost layer of the virus, like the seed, contains the RNA. Like the thorns on the outside of the lychee, the virus has a hard outer leaf. That leaf contains a protein called SPAC. It is the same stiff spike protein that is important to penetrate the cells of the body.
Just as coronavirus rumors have spread, so have rumors and misconceptions about vaccines. For this, social media has been used more. We, who are accustomed to evaluating the market for everything, naturally came up with the question of which vaccine is the most reliable.
When a virus infects the body, it is recognized by the cells in our immune system and the body begins to fight against it. The body takes various measures to fight viruses, bacteria, and other germs, but the basic thing is to destroy the virus. During this time, white blood cells in the body begin to make antibodies that recognize the virus. Initially low-cost, these antibodies become sophisticated with infection and become very economical. As the outer layer contains the spec protein, it is easier for the body to identify the same protein. Once the antibody recognizes the hard protein in the leaf, the body can kill the virus. Just as each fruit has a different outer layer, each bacterium has a different outer surface. So the body's immune system makes different antibodies that recognize different lives. That is to say, just as we put different pots of lychee and chiuri by touching them with our hands, our body can also release one virus after another.
The body's unique immune system is used against the virus through vaccines. The main purpose of making the vaccine is to acquaint the body with the outer layer of the virus. That is to say, it is like introducing lychee to a person who has never seen lychee by showing the peel of lychee. The vaccines currently in use are available to almost everyone using the same outer layer of the virus in the body using various techniques. RNA vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna, allow small RNAs, which make only speck protein, to enter the body, causing the body to produce speck protein. And the body makes antibodies. Vaccines such as Covishield place the spleen protein of the coronavirus on the surface of another harmless virus, while vaccines such as Verosel take the whole coronavirus and annihilate it and deliver the spleen protein to the body. In the end, whatever technique is used, the spec protein is available in the body, and antibodies are formed against it.
The body makes antibodies immediately and protects them by developing the ability to make antibodies in the long run. That is, the newly formed antibodies prevent the infection from occurring for some time after the vaccination, and in the event of a recurrence in the future, the cells are immediately activated to produce antibodies against the corona, and the antibody is immediately neutralized. With vaccination, the abundance of antibodies decreases over time. But in case of re-infection, antibodies are produced immediately. Therefore, it is normal for the number of antibodies to decrease after some time of vaccination. Although there is a possibility of some decline in long-term resistance, it cannot be ruled out now and this issue will become clearer in the long run. But it has been confirmed that all vaccines used so far produce sufficient amounts of antibodies and provide protection even after a period of about a year now.
But with the affordable number of vaccines on the market right now, the question is which vaccine is the best. When different studies show different economical numbers of the same vaccine, it is natural that some doubts arise in people. First of all, we need to understand what the vaccination effectiveness rate is. Just because a vaccine is 90 percent effective does not mean that it works for 90 out of 100 people who are vaccinated, not for 10 people. This means that there has been a 90 percent reduction in the number of infections compared to those who have not been vaccinated. That is, if vaccinated, it indicates how much the overall infection in the society decreases.
But the effectiveness rate does not show the whole picture. Different vaccines were tested in different populations at different times. The rate of infection was very high during some vaccine tests and low during some tests. Variants of the virus were also found to be different in such tests conducted at different times and places. That is, not all vaccines are tested at the same time in the same environment. This is why the effectiveness of the same vaccine varies. Therefore, it is natural that the effectiveness rate cannot be compared.
Just because a vaccine is 90 percent effective does not mean that it works for 90 out of 100 people who are vaccinated, not for 10 people. This means that there has been a 90 percent reduction in the number of infections compared to those who have not been vaccinated. That is, if vaccinated, it indicates how much the overall infection in the society decreases.
For example, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, and Japan cannot decide who will win the World Cup in football based on the games they have played in their respective countries. Yes, the strength of each country's team can be gauged by watching different games and it can be said that these are the best teams. Vaccines are also used on a scientific basis. These vaccines have been shown to work. Therefore, there is no doubt that all corona vaccines work. All vaccines have reduced the infection rate from 60-65 percent to 90-95 percent of the vaccinated population.
But the benefits of vaccination are not just about reducing the infection rate. The first question we have to ask is, what do we want to be after the vaccination? The first and best thing to do is not to get infected after vaccination. This means that even if an infection does occur, it should not be serious and should not lead to further death. That is, the minimum is to avoid death. What we have now found in all the vaccines available is that there is almost no chance of a serious infection being admitted to a hospital if a person who has been fully vaccinated becomes infected. Similarly, the number of deaths due to corona infection in vaccinated people is almost zero. That is, people who are fully vaccinated are more likely to become seriously ill or die from corona than those who are not vaccinated. In other words, the main challenge of the Kovid-19 epidemic is to manage the critically ill and prevent death.
But if you want to increase other risks, you can't just stop the corona or save it from death. Therefore, the vaccine should not cause other unnecessary serious conditions and effects. We have been hearing about the side effects of various vaccines, which has also caused a lot of misunderstanding in society. Fever and body aches are common symptoms after vaccination and after the second vaccination. This is also seen in other vaccines. But at one time or another, the other effects of the vaccine were discussed, which has led many people to doubt the vaccine.
For example, the Covishield vaccine produced in India caused blood clots and the effects of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on the nervous system were widely discussed. The problem was seen in less than 300 people who were vaccinated with the Covishield vaccine in about 30 million people, while Johnson's vaccine was found in 100 people when it was vaccinated in 15 million people. Why is this problem seen in a limited number of people? The extent to which vaccines have contributed to this problem is still under investigation. At present, only warnings have been issued that this could happen. Also, they are rarely seen numerically. For example, if 15 million people cook and eat kheer, 2-4 thousand people will definitely have indigestion, some of them will be seriously ill. Compared to that, the number of side effects seen while vaccinating is less. Vaccination is safer than eating kheer.
There is another question about the effectiveness of the vaccine, which is related to different variants. First of all, it is important to understand why the vaccine does not work in the variant. The virus gradually changes over time. In that process, sometimes there is a change in the appearance of that extracellular protein, which is not recognized by the antibodies that are already formed in our body. If you look at the example of lychee already, it is like changing the outer hard leaf to become like Rita or Katus. Research has shown that some of the current variants have slightly modified the spec protein and that the currently available vaccine is less effective. However, there is no lack of ability to prevent serious illness or death. The current vaccine may not work if the variant, which has undergone major changes over time, expands, but this is not the case now.
Which vaccine is the best? The simple answer is, now available. That is, the vaccine that is available to you is the best vaccine. That vaccine protects you from corona infections, working against all known variants. And, even if an infection does occur, the disease will not be allowed to grow in a way that will lead to serious conditions or even death. And it is safer than eating kheer. So rest assured, get vaccinated in your turn. Keep yourself safe, keep others safe too.
