Should we be afraid of Coronavirus vaccines?

What is the scientific truth behind the studies and where does the credibility of international health organizations lie?

Source: LBCI Website

Report by Elia Nasrallah

2020 was a year of fierce fighting against the Coronavirus rampant pandemic still killing humanity all over the world since the beginning of 2021.

Facing Covid-19 was a challenge that required the development of health emergency plans and the establishment of the fastest response to the repercussions of the biggest and most dangerous global health disaster in human history. Scientists, specialists, the World Health Organization and other concerned international organizations joined hands and were capable to develop vaccines, treatments and diagnostic methods. Thousands of laboratories worked and coordinated together to produce several vaccines that have been approved and authorized to be distributed worldwide by the World Health Organization.

Middle Eastern countries are still waiting to receive it later on as promised as they still tremendously struggle daily with this health catastrophe. However, a global debate has erupted over the safety of these vaccines, their effectiveness and the possibility of negative side effects...

In this context, the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said with the start of 2021: “Vaccines offer great hope to turn the tide of the pandemic. But to protect the world, we must ensure that it is delivered to all people at risk everywhere and not just to countries who can afford to pay for it. To do so, COVAX[1] needs around 4 billion US dollars urgently to buy vaccines for the countries who can’t afford it.[2]”

 As to the global debate, it should be noted that all vaccines are subject to extensive and rigorous testing to ensure their safety before introducing them in a country’s vaccine program[3]. According to the World Health Organization, each vaccine under development must first go through screenings and evaluations to decide which antigen[4] should be used to induce an immune response. The experimental vaccine is first tested on animals to assess its ability to prevent disease. If it gives the desired results, it is then tested in human clinical trials on three phases. Many Covid-19 vaccines received the approval of the World Health Organization after going through the necessary phases, strict clinical tests and trials to ensure their safety and effectiveness in eliminating the virus. As for the development of these vaccines, the UNICEF explained that they work by mimicking an infectious agent – viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms that can cause the disease. This ‘teaches’ our immunity system to rapidly and effectively react against it[5]. The UNICEF also stated that other vaccines are being developed: RNA and DNA vaccines. Instead of introducing antigens, these vaccines give our body the genetic codes needed for our immunity system to produce the antigen itself[6].

Here are some of the vaccines that received the required regulatory licenses:

“Pfizer and BioNTech” Vaccine

According to "Sky News Arabia", one of the recent medical studies done by scientists from the American University of Texas in cooperation with "Pfizer" that has not yet been reviewed confirmed that this vaccine is effective against the new mutation of the Coronavirus that was identified in Britain and South Africa also known as “N501Y”.[7] As the concerns grow around this mutation that appears more transmissible among humans than the original virus itself, the German company "BioNTech" and the American company "Pfizer" announced last December that they will produce up to 1.3 billion doses of the vaccine during the upcoming year[8].

Photo Credit: Reuters

Chinese “Sinopharm” Vaccine

At the beginning of 2020, the Beijing Institute of Biological Products manufactured a vaccine against the Coronavirus under the name of "BBIBP-CorV". Later on, this vaccine was subjected to clinical trials under the supervision of the Chinese state-owned company "Sinopharm". During the last weeks, it got officially approved, as several countries, such as the UAE and Bahrain, began using it[9]. As for how it was developed, "Sky News Arabia" mentioned that the vaccine works by pushing the human immunity system to make antibodies to the Coronavirus which are bound to viral proteins, such as the spinal proteins that surround the surface of the virus”[10].

“Oxford” Vaccine

“Al Arabiya” reported that this vaccine works through the use of the “Chimpanzee Adenoviral Vectors” which is a very weak cold virus. It can get weaker by removing two genes from its composition that makes it unable to reproduce. Then, we insert the genetic material for the spiny protein of the Coronavirus. As the viral vector gets the genetic material inside the cells, it is translated into proteins working alongside the immunity system[11].

Modern Vaccine

This vaccine is similar to the "Pfizer-Biontech" vaccine, but it can be stored in regular freezers without it requiring ultra-cold equipment to be transported, which facilitates its transportation to small ports and remote areas. As for storage temperature, this vaccine has to be stored on a temperature between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius for 30 days, unlike the Pfizer vaccine which requires a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius below zero for the same period[12].

Communication and Public Relations Department

[1] The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator (COVAX) is a global collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines.

[2] https://www.who.int/news/item/30-12-2020-covid-19-anniversary-and-looking-forward-to-2021

[3] https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/how-are-vaccines-developed

[4] A substance that causes your immune system to produce antibodies - https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/what-you-need-to-know-covid-vaccine

[5] https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/what-you-need-to-know-covid-vaccine

[6] https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/what-you-need-to-know-covid-vaccine

[7] https://bit.ly/3s811bJ

[8] https://arbne.ws/38obM1t

[9] https://bit.ly/2LgBYT9

[10] https://bit.ly/2LgBYT9

[11] https://bit.ly/3or9iFl

[12] https://bit.ly/3nr60AC