Table of Contents
Introduction
Hi Friend, I welcome you again to my blog. Today I will answer the question, which is the Best Covid Vaccine.
The increasing number of Covid 19 cases has raised the demand for vaccines.
There are a lot of doubts in people’s minds regarding vaccines despite increasing demand.
People are raising different queries about vaccines. Is the right time to take the vaccine and take the vaccine safe?
If it is safe, then which vaccine is best to take? Should we either take Covaxin or Covishield or wait for Sputnik-V?
Is one vaccine effective against all strains? “N” number of similar questions are residing in people’s minds?
I will try to address all those questions one by one in this article.
We will start this story by understanding how many vaccines are available based on their origin and functions.
Corona vaccines are developed mainly of 3 kinds.
The first type is called inactivated virus vaccine.
Covaxin
An example of this type of vaccine is COVAXIN.
Covaxin is formalized in India, which is an Indian-made vaccine Manufactured by Bharat Bio-Tech.
But the availability of Covaxin is a concern even in our country two doses are recommended of this vaccine 28 days apart, and after six weeks, the immunity develops, and about 81% efficiency comes with this vaccine.
It is said about the inactivated vaccines that these are safer than other vaccines.
2nd type of vaccine is called viral vector-based vaccines.
Covishield and Russian-made vaccine Sputnik V fall under this category.
Covishield
In the Covishield vaccine, the adenovirus of the chimpanzee is used. Adenovirus is a type of virus that causes common cold-like symptoms.
In this process, the adenovirus’s genetic code is replaced with the SARS-COV2 virus’s and is used as a vaccine against coronavirus.
Two doses are recommended for this vaccine too. And the gap between the two doses is a big question to discuss because it was initially told that a 4-6 weeks gap is required between the 1st and 2nd dose.
I took the 2nd dose of vaccine four weeks later after the1st dose. I have taken on January 21, and then new guidelines came stating the gap to be of 6-8 weeks which was continued till May 13, 21.
Now there is a new guideline that came up yesterday to follow an 8-12 weeks gap, and people are raising questions, what is the correct duration between 2 doses? What is right? 4-6 weeks, 6-8 weeks, or 8-12 weeks?
People have doubts about this and are raising multiple questions Whether this schedule is changed because of the low availability of vaccines?
Because 1st dose can save people for six months, and after that, they will start giving the 2nd dose, this is people’s mindset, but on the other end, there is scientific evidence behind this decision.
A study was made in England during 2nd wave of Corona and found that efficiency was increased to more than 90% in those given the 2nd dose after 8-12 weeks. So around 71% efficiency is seen after 1st dose of Covishield in approximately six weeks.
If you take the 2nd dose after 8- 12 weeks, then the efficiency increases to 90-95%, so the Government took this decision because of increasing the efficiency of the vaccine.
The other vaccine in this category is Sputnik-V.
Sputnik-V
In this vaccine, human adenovirus is also used along with Chimpanzee adenovirus, and it’s called that the the efficiency of this vaccine is remarkable and 91-94% efficiency rate has been claimed and claimed that this vaccine’s side effects are low.
But this is not yet proven in India because this vaccine is not used in our country till now. This doesn’t seem right to say that there are no Side effects of this vaccine because each vaccine has some side effects.
Almost all vaccines have some side effects. Some show after 1st dose and a few after 2nd.
For example, side effects are more after 1st dose of Covishield or viral vector-based vaccines like fever and headache but minimal after 2nd dose. On the other hand, the 3rd category of vaccines being used in the US is modified RNA-based vaccines.
What we do is that the mRNA is taken out from the spikes of the virus, as you can see here, and this mRNA is used as a vaccine to produce antibodies in our body because this messenger RNA has all the information of the virus available with itself.
That’s why this is used to make antibodies in our body; the side effects of this kind of vaccine are lower after the 1st dose but a bit more after the 2nd dose, so this is not right to say that a vaccine does not have any side effects.
Sputnik V, Covishield, Covaxin: What we know about India’s Covid-19 vaccines – BBC News
Two doses are recommended of this vaccine, too, with four weeks gap between the 1st and 2nd doses. If we consider the efficiency, it is quite satisfactory too with being around 90-94% efficient.
One of the most prominent questions that people are asking these days is which vaccine should be taken by them. Should we take Covaxin, Covishield, or wait for Sputnik V? I would only say that the vaccine is essential for you all.
At this point in time, you are not the one to choose. If you are able to get the vaccine, it itself is a big deal. So, without even thinking about which vaccine to opt for, protect yourself, first of all.
Whichever vaccine is available to you, go for it. Also, in India, no other option than Covishield is available at present.
Covaxin is not available at this time. Sputnik V will take some time to arrive. So, without having any questions or thoughts in your head that. Which vaccine to take or wait for? It may not so happen that it becomes way late for you.
So, to avoid this, whatever vaccine you are getting right now, take that, as you are left with no other choice. Another common question is that if we have taken the first dose of vaccine, so, are we safe now? And will we not be positive now? But it is not like that.
Even after taking the first dose, it will take six months to develop the antibodies. Till that time, you cannot consider yourself completely safe.
Even after six weeks, the efficiency of Covishield comes up to 71% so still, there are 30% chances of getting an infection and yes, this is the fact you can be tested positive if exposed to virus even after vaccination but with lower symptoms and with lower severity of the disease.
Another question people do ask, will my Covid report come positive if I take the vaccine? No, this is not the fact, because no vaccine has active viruses to use so there is no chance if you will be tested positive due to vaccination same logic here, if you have taken vaccine but antibodies are not enough to fight the disease So you can be tested positive if exposed to the virus.
There is a question, can a person take a vaccine if he is an active patient and tested positive? No, this is suggested to take vaccine after 30 days of the 1st symptom or the date of tested positive.
Because post-exposure to the virus, your body starts producing antibodies itself and after 30 days or 4-6 weeks later, when you will get your vaccine then antibodies will be developed faster, and you will get more protection even with 1st dose of the vaccine next question is on the duration and gap between 2 doses which was 4-6 weeks, and now revised if some missed the second dose, then what should they do?
Ideally should be taken even it is delayed, and do not forget to take 2nd dose. see, we had taken 2nd dose after four weeks now you can take it after 12 weeks too so complete your 2nd dose if you want to keep protected yourself.
Another question is Related to vaccination in pregnant women and lactating mothers and vaccination of women during menses in the initial days, there were no clear guidelines because of a lack of data now it is very clear that there is no harm to take vaccine during menses.
The covid vaccine can be taken during menses without any 2nd question in your mind. However, CDC has given a consensus on vaccination to lactating mothers and trials are done on pregnant women with good positive results.
But the guidelines are awaited study is going on and expecting the guidelines soon that these vaccines can be used in pregnant women and lactating mothers.
There are questions on vaccination to children because we are allowing only 18 yrs and above; why are vaccines not allowed to children?
Moderna and Pfizer are working on it, and studies are going on in the US.
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They have done a trial on 6 yrs and above the age of children, and results are positive. I hope we will have vaccines available for children very soon in the market space and will get the benefits of vaccines only once the maximum population is vaccinated then herd immunity can be developed, and this will help us to control virus spread, spikes, and another wave so friends.
Conclusion
I hope I have answered all your queries in this articles which you had doubts and questions in Your mind related to the Covid vaccination. If you enjoyed the article, please like and share and do not forget to subscribe to the blog.
Thanks for reading my article.