Why are vaccine side effects 'good'?



Vaccination against the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has started in some countries, and

early vaccination for healthcare professionals will begin in mid-February 2021 in Japan as well . Vaccination has side effects such as fever, which is 'good', the YouTube channel of news media Vox explains.

Vaccine side effects are actually a good thing --YouTube


To deliver a vaccine to the general consumer, a pharmaceutical company develops the vaccine, tests its effect, obtains approval from a certification body, and manufactures what is actually delivered to the market. I will. The most important of these is the 'human test'.



There are three phases in testing vaccines in humans. The three phases will begin with a phase I study investigating side effects of the vaccine, then a phase II study examining the efficacy of the vaccine, and finally a large study of the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Continue with Phase III trials.



The first step in a vaccine trial, a phase I trial, investigates '

adverse events ' that refer to any unfavorable or unintended medical event that occurs in a subject / patient who receives a drug, such as an investigational drug or drug. It is a process called.



According to Dr. Kirsten Lyke, who led the Phase I trial of the new coronavirus vaccine '

BNT162b2 ' developed by American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and biotechnology company BioNTech, 'any vaccine has side effects. '.



However, in general, Dr. Lyke's opinion is that 'don't be afraid of anything' about the side effects of the vaccine. For example, the most common vaccine, the flu vaccine, can cause multiple side reactions such as pain, fatigue and headaches.



In contrast, the new coronavirus vaccine has similar side effects.



And it seems that the possibility of these side reactions occurring is higher at the time of the second vaccination. Side reactions of the new coronavirus vaccine include 'arm pain,' 'fatigue,' and 'headache.'



Of course, it's quite normal for side reactions to occur. 'If you understand why the vaccine side effects occur, you may think it's good to be vaccinated,' Vox said.



To talk about the side effects of vaccines, we must first talk about the human immune system. The immune system can be rephrased as 'a huge network of various cells and proteins in the body.'



The immune system includes white blood cells that fight viruses and bacteria that have invaded the body, cell-cell communication that organizes reactions, and antibodies that identify what is harmful to the human body.



For example, if a virus invades the human body, the immune system will fight back. The body increases blood flow and circulates more of the immune system to attack the virus. This can increase your body temperature, but don't worry, it's one of the reactions that indicates that your immune system is working to eliminate the virus that has invaded your body.



White blood cells produce antibodies after destroying the virus. This is part of the process of gaining immunity to identify and attack the virus when it re-enters the body in the future.



This reaction causes many of the symptoms you feel when you catch a cold. In other words, the virus that causes the cold does not cause symptoms such as 'fever,' 'snot,' and 'body pain,' but these reactions occur because the immune system is fighting the virus.



Vaccines are intended to activate the immune system by infecting the virus to the extent that it does not cause infectious diseases. Most vaccines are made up of weakened pathogens, dead pathogens, or some of them. In the case of the new coronavirus vaccine, some genetic information of the virus is used instead of DNA or

mRNA .



These genetic information used in vaccines is harmless to the human body, but the immune system detects them and reacts in a similar way to the actual virus.



In other words, the new coronavirus vaccine is designed so that the body produces antibodies against the new coronavirus and can acquire the same immunity as when infected with the actual virus.



Among them, the new coronavirus vaccine using mRNA is particularly excellent, and it is very excellent in stimulating the immune system. Therefore, 'BNT162b2', a new type of coronavirus vaccine using mRNA, shows extremely high efficacy of 95%.



mRNA is so good at activating the immune system that it increases blood flow at the vaccinated site. This is the reason why the part where the injection was inserted hurts.



Experts emphasize that side reactions such as elevated body temperature and chills should be considered 'good'. Common reactions to vaccination include 'fever' and 'malaise', but most of these symptoms are mild to moderate. These side reactions are categorized by health authorities as the mildest side reactions and can be cured in a day or two. Those classified as severe side reactions are at the level of having to go to the hospital.



In the case of the new coronavirus vaccine, only a few cases of severe fatigue and muscle pain were confirmed in Phase I and Phase II trials, and few severe side reactions were confirmed.



The same is true for two vaccinations. In the first place, this type of vaccine is not used by the general public at risk.



Permanent serious symptoms of the vaccine are unacceptable and should not be accepted. The news that 'I died after receiving the new coronavirus vaccine twice' ...



News has also been reported that 'a person with a history of serious allergic reaction was vaccinated with the new coronavirus vaccine and caused a severe allergic reaction', but these symptoms are caused by something other than the vaccine. It has become clear that



In fact, there have been millions of vaccinations in clinical trials, with no deaths. Similarly, in a controlled study of thousands of people, no deaths from vaccination have been reported.



In the first place, it is important to recognize that there have been no reports of cases such as 'I was hospitalized with COVID-19' or 'I died of COVID-19' due to the new coronavirus vaccine. ..



As many people as possible need to be vaccinated if they want to reduce the virus. Vaccination is a way to escape the COVID-19 pandemic. Not limited to BNT162b2, vaccination can cause side reactions for a day or two, but 'researchers and scientists who have studied vaccines are most eager to get vaccinated. That's the best proof that the new coronavirus vaccine is safe, 'says Dr. Lyke.



in Science,   Video, Posted by logu_ii