The use of vaccines dates back 200 years and over the intervening years, they have saved millions of lives around the world and made people healthier. Today, many diseases from Diphtheria to Influenza can be prevented with the use of vaccines. They are usually the only effective deterrent against viral diseases, since there really is no “cure” for them.
A century ago, when the Spanish Flu conquered the world after World War I, scientists could not invent a vaccine as medical science was not developed back then up to today’s level. When the Coronavirus hit the world exactly one year ago, there was still no cure in sight, but vaccines were a distinct possibility. But what no one bargained for was the speed with which they were developed – in less than one year, the world had not one but five promising vaccines, with more on the way.
Vaccines are like any other drug, in that some people may develop adverse reactions and yes, even die. But these are very rare events. Besides, it cannot be definitely proven that the vaccine is the culprit for the adverse event or death since some people may succumb to totally unrelated health developments in the natural course of things.
The controversy that arose over the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is a case in point. Several persons mainly in Europe who took the vaccine developed blood clots and a few died. In Sri Lanka too, there were a couple of blood clot episodes. However, one has to look at the wider picture. Millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered around the world, including nearly 800,000 in Sri Lanka, with the recipients reporting only mild reactions such as fever. Yes, a few have developed very adverse reactions.
But that would be a pathetic excuse to halt the vaccination drive, because we must ensure the greatest good of the greatest number. In other words, it is better to continue the vaccination drive rather than discontinue it over mostly unfounded fears.
Yet, this is exactly what happened in a number of countries, including Germany, France and Italy, which suspended the vaccination campaign over concerns about blood clots in some recipients. We have to be thankful to our health regulators and authorities for continuing the vaccination campaign unabated despite this action by some European countries. In hindsight, it has proven to be the correct decision.
European Medicines Agency Executive Director Emer Cooke told a news briefing that her agency’s expert committee on the safety of medicines has “come to a clear scientific conclusion” on the review of cases of blood clots in people vaccinated with the drug. “This is a safe and effective vaccine,” she said. “Its benefits in protecting people from Covid-19, with the associated risks of death and hospitalisation, outweigh the possible risks.” Cooke added that the vaccine was not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots.
Dr. Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation’s regional director for Europe, said that countries should continue to use AstraZeneca’s vaccine. AstraZeneca itself said that a review of safety data from more than 17 million people given its shot in the United Kingdom and the European Union had shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.
Within hours of the announcement, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said his country would start using the vaccine again, adding he would receive it on Friday afternoon. Other European countries were expected to follow suit. This is a good sign that will enable countries around the world to beat the Covid-19 virus.
Like with any medication, those who receive the vaccine must talk with a doctor beforehand and disclose any underlying health conditions and allergies they suffer from. They should also discuss the medications that they currently use. People with some severe allergies have been told to defer taking the vaccine or take medications that can suppress such allergies before taking the vaccine. Moreover, there is another school of thought that those who take certain medicines must stop taking them for a couple of days before the shot, though the scientific basis for these claims is not all that clear. In the end, it is better to take the vaccine than risk getting the disease, which can be deadly especially to people who have existing health conditions such as heart anomalies, diabetes and cancers.
Actually, this goes for anyone, healthy or not – getting the disease is not better than getting the vaccine. You should, in fact, get the vaccine even if you have been previously infected with Covid-19, because vaccine immunity is said to be of a higher magnitude than natural (Covid-19) immunity. The only advantage is that those who have had the disease can usually manage with just one shot of any vaccine, according to latest research. However, some countries may not allow this.
Sri Lanka is also fortunate in another sense – there is zero vaccine hesitancy here, unlike in some other countries. This is mainly due to a free immunisation drive that kicks into action literally from the moment you are born. It has helped Sri Lanka to achieve health indices that are almost on par with those of the developed states. Even Covid-19 would have created a bigger mayhem here if not for our free healthcare service and its dedicated workers, who are in the frontlines of the battle against Covid-19 along with heroic Security Forces and Police personnel.
We should all help them achieve zero Covid-19 status by turning up at a vaccination centre to get inoculated when our turn comes.