Covid-19 Vaccination in Philippines

When you receive a COVID-19 vaccine, you should still wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth unless you cannot wear one for a disability or health reason. Make sure to stay 6 feet away from others while you are waiting in line to get the vaccine.

Before the medical staff injects the vaccine, you will be asked some questions about your medical history. Tell the staff if you are pregnant, have ever had a severe allergic reaction, or have certain medical conditions. You will then be given an injection of the vaccine into your upper arm. Most COVID-19 vaccines require more than one injection, so you will be asked to return to the facility for another injection between three to four weeks following the first one, depending on the COVID-19 vaccine used. It is important to have both injections of the same vaccine to get the best protection. The first injection should give you adequate protection from the virus. Still, you do need to have two injections of the vaccine to get full and longer-lasting protection. Unless your doctor or a provider tells you not to get a second shot, make sure to get the second shot even if you have side effects from the first one.

There are currently more than 200 candidates of COVID-19 vaccines in development and clinical trials worldwide. Some have produced very positive results in phase III clinical trials. As of December 2020, several vaccines have been authorized and recommended to prevent COVID-19 in various countries. These are:

Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been given emergency use authorization by the FDA (the United States Food and Drug Administration) and the MHRA (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency). Data has shown that this vaccine is 95% effective at preventing COVID-19 in people without evidence of the previous infection. This vaccine requires two injections, which are given 21 days apart. It is delivered through shots in the muscle of the upper arm. Pfizer/BioNtech Vaccine is for people age 16 and older.

Moderna Vaccine

Like the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine has also been given emergency use authorization by the FDA and the MHRA. Evidence from clinical trials has shown that this vaccine has an efficiency rate of 94.1%. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people aged 18 and older. It needs two injections, one month (28 days) apart, and is given through shots in the upper arm muscles.

Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Moderna vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA vaccines teach our cells how to create a protein that can trigger  an immune response inside of the body. This immune response produces antibodies, which protect us from getting infected if the virus enters our bodies.

AstraZeneca Vaccine

AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine, or Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine, was approved by the MHRA on 30 December 2020 but has not been submitted application for emergency use authorization in the US. Data from clinical studies have shown that AstraZeneca Vaccine is 70% effective in protecting people from getting infected. It requires two injections, given four weeks apart.

Unlike the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines, AstraZeneca Vaccine is a viral vector vaccine. It is created from a weekend version of a common cold virus (called adenovirus) that has been modified to look more like the coronavirus. When the AstraZeneca vaccine is injected into our body, it prompts our immune system to begin creating antibodies, which attack SARS-CoV-2 infection.

CoronaVac

Besides these three, another COVID-19 vaccine that has been approved by many countries is the CoronaVac, which was developed by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac. At this point in time, it is hard to say exactly how effective the Sinovac vaccine is. A late-stage trial in Turkey shows that the vaccine was 91.25% effective, a clinical trial in Brazil says that the vaccine was 78% effective, and Indonesia says that the vaccine is 65.3% effective. It is an inactivated whole virus vaccine that works by using killed viral particles to expose our body’s immune system to the virus without risking a serious response. It triggers our bodies to produce an immune response that will protect us against infection.

As of January 2020, Brazil, Turkey, and Indonesia have signed an agreement with Sinovac to buy the CoronaVac. Ukraine, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Bolivia, and Chile have also authorized the use of CoronaVac or struck supply deals with Sinovac.

Sputnik V

Several countries, such as Argentina, have also authorized Sputnik V for emergency use. Also known as the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V is developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.

Immediately after the vaccination, you will be asked to stay around 15 to 30 minutes to ensure that you do not have a serious reaction to the vaccine. Then, you are free to leave Philippines. Remember that you must come back to the facility after three to four weeks for the second injection of the vaccine.

There is typically no recovery time needed after the COVID-19 vaccination. You should be able to resume your activities if you feel well. However, it is possible that you may experience the side effects of the vaccines following the vaccination. Having some side effects are normal signs that your body is building protection. The side effects are mild, should not last longer than a week, and not everyone gets them. It may feel like flu and may affect your ability to do your everyday activities, but they should go away within a few days. If you feel unwell or exhausted after the vaccination, make sure to rest.

Remember, your body needs time to build protection after any vaccinations. COVID-19 vaccines may take a week or two until it protects you. This means you could possibly become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or after you get the vaccine.

If you have pain or discomfort following your COVID-19 vaccination, ask your doctor if you can take over-the-counter pain medicine, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen. To ease the pain and discomfort, you can apply a clean, wet washcloth over the area where you got the shot. Make sure also to exercise or use your arm to ease discomfort. If you experience a fever, make sure to drink plenty of fluids and dress lightly.

If the side effects experienced begin to concern you or do not seem to resolve within a few days, or if the tenderness or redness where you got the shot increases after 24 hours, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

While the vaccine can reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, it is still unknown at the time if you can still carry and transmit the virus to others. Therefore, until more is understood about how well the COVID-19 vaccine works in real-world conditions, continuing protective measures after the shot are still necessary. Make sure to cover your mouth and nose with a mask, wash your hands often, stay at least 6 feet away from others, and avoid crowds.

Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, Moderna vaccine, and AstraZeneca vaccine have been shown to be safe and effective as determined by data and findings from both the manufacturers and large clinical trials. Rigorous clinical trials of these vaccines identified no safety concerns. Their benefits far outweigh the theoretical risks. There is currently no research on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. However, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and are part of a group recommended to get a COVID-19 vaccine, you can choose to get vaccinated. Clinical trials are still ongoing to find out more about how safe and effective the vaccines are.

As stated before, Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is 95% effective, the Moderna vaccine 94.1% effective, and the AstraZeneca vaccine is 70% effective. However, it is important to note that not all countries around the world use the same vaccine.

While the vaccines are safe, side effects can occur, such as fatigue, fever, chills, muscle pain, joint pain, and headache. These are normal signs that your body is working to build protection.

It is still unknown how long the immunity conferred by a COVID-19 vaccine will last as more data is needed.

There is currently no alternative to COVID-19 vaccination. It is recommended that you get vaccinated to protect yourself from the virus, even if you have already had COVID-19 before.

COVID-19 vaccination, your chance of becoming seriously ill will be reduced. The vaccine may even prevent you from being infected. The combination of following protective measures and getting vaccinated offer the best protection from COVID-19.