The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our lives in unprecedented ways. Public spaces which were once bustling with life are now empty. The sight of people packed in like sardines in a can is no more, with desolate views outside our windows. Schools quickly adjusted with the mass cancellation of in-person classes. Hospitals overflowed as a never-ending stream of people entered day and night. Our lexicon has taken a turn as well with the rising use of terms such as contact tracing, herd immunity, and “flattening the curve”.
Recently, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines developed to counteract the effects of COVID-19 have moved to the center of the world’s attention. Widespread vaccination might just provide the solution we all need. However, there is growing concern for the effectiveness of these vaccines as suspicion continues to hover around the novelty of all this. With this, it becomes important for us to go back to the basics: “what are these vaccines?”
Both Pfizer and Moderna use RNA-based vaccines. Simply put, RNA is the information from which viruses are built. By making use of modified SARS-CoV-2 RNA, our cells are able to come up with their own miniature virus pieces. Even though these virus fragments are unable to operate properly, our cells are still capable of creating the necessary antibodies in order to become immune to the virus. This RNA need not worry us; in fact, each of our cells receive thousands of RNA messages at any given time!
It is often thought that over this span of time, the RNA could develop into the actual COVID-19 virus. Nevertheless, the information carried by these vaccines is only a very small fragment of the complete virus; it can only create one of many proteins essential for virus formation. Additionally, the RNA utilized by the aforementioned vaccines breaks down about a day after injection, giving the cells just enough time to develop immunity.
To ensure the safety of the general public, all vaccines have to pass through three major stages of testing before being approved. The first stage is fairly straightforward—a small group of about 20 to 80 are tested to gauge the efficacy of the vaccine. Placebos (“fake treatments'') are then used at the second stage to ensure that results obtained aren’t due to psychological reasons while at the third stage, thousands of people are tested, with factors such as population, dosage, and other medications accounted for. Trials run are double-blind, which means that both doctors and patients do not know which patients are given placebos. If a vaccine fails to pass the necessary guidelines set in place for any of these three stages, it will immediately be rejected.
Once a vaccine is approved, it then goes through the fourth and final stage. Unlike the previous stages, the fourth stage is primarily focused on gathering data regarding adverse effects. This will allow for precautionary measures that will effectively make the risk of these effects negligible. Despite the novelty of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both managed to pass the first three tests with exceptional results! Tens of thousands of participants were tested, yet no severe side effects arose due to these vaccines. Additionally, both vaccines reached a greater than 90 percent efficacy at preventing people from getting COVID-19.
The vaccines, despite their surprising results, certainly aren’t risk-free. Consequently, deciding on whether or not to take these vaccines is a matter of calculated risk. On one side, these vaccines are fairly new, so we are not sure if severe side effects do exist. Due to their rarity, they are yet to be discovered. On the other side, we have a virus which has caused millions of deaths worldwide. After everything is said and done, the final choice is up to us.
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