In the Covid-19 pandemic, which we are about to fill the second year since the first case was seen in the world, the total number of cases has approached 282 million, and the number of people who lost their lives due to Covid-19 has approached approximately 5.5 million. Covid-19 vaccines, which the scientific world is working on without stopping; While it has a certain effect in preventing the transmission of the virus, it also plays a very important role in preventing the emergence of severe clinical pictures, hospitalization, and even facing a fatal situation in cases where the disease is caught. However, it is also a fact that today’s Covid-19 vaccination rates are still not reaching the desired level of 80 percent worldwide.
Acıbadem Taksim Hospital Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Çağrı Büke, in the fact that the vaccination rate of Covid-19 is not at the targeted level; Stating that there are difficulties in accessing this vaccine for various reasons in some countries of the world and that the anti-vaccination developed in some countries has a significant effect, he said, “At the same time, the information pollution spreading between the internet and peers is also important in the low rate of Covid-19 vaccination. emerges as a factor. However, the results of scientific studies; “It shows that vaccines play a role in the formation of severe disease and high efficacy in patient survival.” So, what erroneous information that is thought to be true in society can prevent vaccination? Acıbadem Taksim Hospital Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Çağrı Büke told 10 incorrect information about the Covid-19 vaccine; made important suggestions and warnings!
Error: I had my Covid-19 vaccines. I don’t need to take precautions to protect myself from the virus!
Actually: Contrary to popular belief in society, it is not possible to be protected from Covid-19 just by being vaccinated. prof. Dr. Cagri Büke, warning that it is necessary to apply vaccines and protection methods without the slightest compromise, said, “None of the current Covid-19 vaccines can completely prevent the transmission of the virus to a vaccinated person. Therefore, it is very important to use the right mask correctly and to keep a distance of at least 2 meters between people with the mask in order to prevent the transmission of the virus. In addition, it is essential to ensure hand hygiene whenever necessary, especially before the hand comes into contact with the mouth, nose and eyes, if possible, not to be in closed environments, to reduce the time as much as possible and to use effective masks without removing them during this period. Not having too many people in the same indoor environment, ensuring that the environment is ventilated with fresh air at appropriate intervals, and cleaning the environment are other effective measures to be taken to protect from Covid-19.
Error: I had the Covid-19 disease. I don’t need to be revaccinated!
Actually: Infection and Clinical Microbiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Noting that the antibodies formed in patients with Covid-19 infection can vary from person to person, depending on the severity of the infection, Çağrı Büke said, “In the studies carried out, it has been shown that both stronger and longer-term protective effectiveness can be achieved as a result of vaccination applied to people who have had the disease. . Therefore, even patients with Covid-19 disease should continue to be vaccinated,” he says.
Error: I’m pregnant. Getting the Covid-19 vaccine can harm my baby and me!
Actually: Pregnancy is considered a risk group for Covid-19. The reason for this is the serious and severe course of Covid-19 during pregnancy. In studies carried out for vaccines approved for emergency use; It has been revealed that the vaccine does not cause any additional harm during pregnancy and almost every period of pregnancy and its use is safe.
Mistake: Covid-19 vaccine can prevent becoming a mother!
Actually: Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that Covid-19 vaccines cause infertility in women of reproductive age. Moreover, the protein called syncytin-1, which plays an important role in getting pregnant and is claimed to be in vaccines, is not included in any Covid-19 vaccine. Therefore, Covid-19 vaccines do not cause infertility, as antibodies will not form against this structure.
Error: I’m in the lactation period. Covid-19 vaccine may harm my baby!
Actually: prof. Dr. Çağrı Büke emphasized that none of the current Covid-19 vaccines are live vaccines and said, “When the vaccine is administered during breastfeeding, it is not possible for the virus to be transmitted from mother to baby, and therefore the disease. For this reason, the Covid-19 vaccine can be safely administered to mothers during breastfeeding. Moreover, the antibodies formed by the vaccine can pass to the baby through breast milk and protect the newborn baby from Covid-19 disease for a certain period of time, for an average of six months.
Error: 2 doses of vaccine are enough for Covid-19. I won’t get the third dose!
Actually: Since mid-November 2021, the whole world has been facing a new variant of Covid-19, SARS-CoV2. This variant, called omicron and first detected in South Africa, has a much higher number of mutations than the previous delta variant. Because of these mutations, the virus gains much more infectious features. At the same time, it increases the rate of transmission of the disease more or it can be protected from the effect of the antibody formed after two doses of effective vaccines. These two conditions caused the disease to spread rapidly in a short time and to be seen in more than 90 countries today, and the number of cases reached nearly double in 2-3 days in the countries where it was seen. Scientific studies show that the protection of neutralizing antibodies against the omicron variant, which occurs in people who are vaccinated with full dose with high-efficacy vaccines, is lower than other variants and that the protection is rapidly reduced in a much shorter time. Therefore, a third dose of vaccine is recommended three months after the second dose. Again, studies show that there is a 25-fold increase in neutralizing antibody levels after the third dose and that the protection can reach 70 percent.
Mistake: Covid-19 vaccines have serious side effects!
Actually: Another important reason why the vaccination rate is not at the desired level is; erroneous information spreading about the side effects of vaccines. If we examine in terms of Covid-19 vaccines used in our country; It is stated that while only mild side effects such as pain and redness at the injection site develop in the CoronaVac vaccine of the Sinovac company, serious allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis are extremely rare.
In the Comirnaty vaccine, which is the vaccine of the Pfizer/BioNTech company, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and pain, itching and redness at the injection site are generally seen. Side effects such as urticaria, angioedema, lymphodenopathy (swelling of the lymph in the neck) and facial paralysis (facial paralysis) are very rare. These problems are completely gone within a week at the most. Myocarditis (heart muscle inflammation)/pericarditis (heart membrane inflammation), which is claimed to have developed with the Comirnaty vaccine, was seen in 27 people per million, mostly in young men and after the second dose of vaccine. prof. Dr. Noting that these patients also fully recovered with treatment, Çağrı Büke says, “While this very rare side effect of the vaccine worries people, on the other hand, the development of myocarditis and pericarditis with facial paralysis is much higher in patients with Covid-19.”
While the risk of blood clots is high in those who have Covid-19 disease, this risk is very low in vaccines. It is reported that these side effects, which are mostly reported in Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, are very rare as one in a million.
Mistake: Covid-19 vaccines harm our genes!
Actually: prof. Dr. Calling Büke, pointing out that the mRNA material in the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is different from the DNA material that makes up our genes and cannot be placed in our genes, “Contrary to popular belief, mRNA cannot enter and settle in the cell nucleus, where the 46 chromosomes containing human DNA are located. Because as soon as the identification process of the mRN that enters the body with the vaccine is done, that is, it is eliminated by the body in a time that can be defined in minutes. Therefore, it is not possible for vaccines to harm genes.” says.