The Corona Virus Pandemic: Part 4 of 4 – Vaccines & The COVID-19 Vaccine Options

Vaccines contain the same germs that cause disease. (For example, measles vaccine contains measles virus, and Hib vaccine contains Hib bacteria.) However, they have been either killed or weakened to the point that they don’t make you sick. Some vaccines contain only a part of the disease germ.

A vaccine stimulates our immune system to produce antibodies, exactly like it would if we were exposed to the disease. After getting vaccinated, we develop immunity to that disease, without having to get the disease first.

It’s much safer for our immune system to learn this through vaccination than by catching the diseases and treating them. This is what makes vaccines such powerful medicine. Unlike most medicines, which treat or cure diseases, vaccines prevent them. Once your immune system knows how to fight a disease, it can often protect you for many years.

Remember : prevention is better than cure !

Herd immunity

Having a vaccine also benefits your whole community through “herd immunity”. If enough people are vaccinated, it’s harder for the disease to spread to those people who cannot have vaccines. For example, people who are ill or have a weakened immune system.

What you need to know about vaccines

#1 : What They Do

• protect you (and your child) from many serious and potentially deadly diseases
• protect other people in your community – by helping to stop diseases spreading to people who cannot have vaccines
• undergo rigorous safety testing before being introduced – they’re also constantly monitored for side effects after being introduced
• sometimes cause mild side effects that will not last long – some children may feel a bit unwell and have a sore arm for 2 or 3 days
• reduce or even get rid of some diseases – if enough people are vaccinated

#2 : What They Don’t Do

• do not cause autism – studies have found no evidence of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism
• do not overload or weaken the immune system – it’s safe to give children several vaccines at a time and this reduces the amount of injections they need
• do not cause allergies or any other conditions – all the current evidence tells us that vaccinating is safer than not vaccinating
• do not contain mercury (thiomersal)
• do not contain any ingredients that cause harm in such small amounts – but speak to your doctor if you have any known allergies such as eggs or gelatine

The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed vaccine hesitancy as one of the biggest threats to global health. Vaccine hesitancy is where people with access to vaccines delay or refuse vaccination.

What would a world without vaccines be like ?

The COVID-19 Vaccines

Covid-19 has devastated families across the world by snatching their loved ones from them as well as impacting on employment, state of mind and our social habits :

Vaccines can make an important contribution to combating COVID-19. A vaccine stimulates a reaction of our immune system so that our body “recognizes” a specific virus or bacteria without actually getting the disease. When we later come into contact with that virus or bacteria, our immune system “remembers” this pathogen. Our body then quickly produces the right antibodies to destroy the virus or bacteria and protect us against the disease.

Safe and effective vaccines really are a game-changing tool.The TOP 3 vaccines have now been approved and are being produced & supplied in large quantities. Full scale vaccination has started in many countries because it’s not vaccines that will stop this pandemic, it’s vaccination !

However,for the foreseeable future we must continue wearing masks, cleaning our hands, ensuring good ventilation indoors and whilst outdoors, maintain physical distancing and avoid crowding.

In this series of articles we have written, the non-scientific / non-medically qualified audience will be able to read, understand and learn ALL that they should know about the principal COVID-19 vaccines.

Below is a list of illustrative articles available to this audience AND ALSO to healthcare personnel.  Collectively, these will go some distance as regards removing the apprehension and stigmatism associated with vaccination and the rapid development / production of these particular vaccines.

Sample Article # 0 = ” Covid-19 Vaccines: Myths & Facts ” —> CLICK THIS LINK

Further information with respect to gaining access to any OR all 20 articles can be obtained by clicking this link HERE.

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