Nearly a year into the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, a large number of people eligible for the vaccine have not yet come forward to receive their doses due to a high level of hesitancy. Dr. Erica Pan, California state epidemiologist and deputy director of the Center for Infectious Diseases, answered questions about the vaccine that has saved millions of lives around the world.
The answer to all these doubts that still persist among those who are hesitant to get vaccinated, given by Dr. Pan, comes amid a growing number of positive cases of the SARS-CoV-2 virus due to the omicron variant, which has a high transmissibility.
“Positive cases, rates and hospitalization numbers continue to rise and are actually the highest levels we have seen so far,” Dr. Pan said in a media briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services.
He also pointed out that the risks of hospitalization and death remain high for unvaccinated people, "so the most important thing we must continue to do is get vaccinated and receive boosters."
How did COVID-19 vaccines work?
Like all vaccines, vaccines teach the immune system to fight off infections. Scientists have made COVID-19 vaccines using part of the virus's genetic code, either messenger RNA (mRNA) or DNA, depending on the type of vaccine.
Once inside the cell, this part of the genetic code gives instructions for making a small, harmless piece of the COVID-19 virus called the spike protein. Our body notices this protein and the immune system produces antibodies to destroy it.
This process teaches your body how to recognize and fight off the virus. If you are exposed to the virus in the future, even the currently circulating virus variants, your immune system will quickly recognize it and have the antibodies and T cells ready to fight off the infection.
How effective are the vaccines against the new variants we are seeing?
The risks of hospitalization and death remain high for people who are not vaccinated, so the most important thing we must continue to do is get vaccinated and get boosters. All three available COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
What are the benefits of getting vaccinated even if you still get COVID-19?
Getting vaccinated and boosted helps, keeps you out of the hospital by decreasing the severity of positive cases.
Vaccines are keeping Californians off ventilators and saving lives. We must protect ourselves from the worst impacts of this virus and prevent the spread to those who are at high risk and cannot be vaccinated.
Even if you've already been infected, you can still benefit from the vaccine and that will help you fight off other variants. And it's kind of a double immunity in a way.
If someone already has COVID-19, do they still need to be vaccinated?
People who have had Covid-19 benefit from vaccination and should get vaccinated soon.
Studies show that people who have had the virus and then receive two doses of the vaccine have high levels of protection against the Omicron and Delta variants, especially against severe symptoms such as hospitalization and death.
It is very important, even if you have been infected, to go ahead and get vaccinated as it will boost your immunity. Therefore, the vaccine is the safest way to protect yourself against COVID-19 and reduce the impact on yourself, your family and our communities.
Hygiene measures must be followed
So even with a booster dose, we still have to follow the guidelines we call harm reduction precautions? Yes: these are still prudent to keep Californians safe.
Vaccines are safe, but they are not 100 percent effective and some groups are not yet eligible, such as children under five. So taking these harm reduction precautions like wearing a well-fitting mask helps protect them from contracting COVID-19 and becoming seriously ill.
Are vaccines safe for such young children to receive? And are there any side effects?
Comprehensive clinical trials in more than 4,500 children ages 5 to 11 demonstrate that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in this age group, resulting in a strong antibody response in children who received it. The COVID-19 vaccine was found to be safe for children ages 5 to 11, with only mild side effects such as fatigue, fever, and headache.
The nation's immunization experts are reviewing all reports of possible serious side effects after a vaccine against the disease. Serious side effects are rare and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh any risks.
Rare cases of inflammation of the heart muscle known as myocarditis and pericarditis have been reported, sometimes within a week after receiving the second dose of the mRNA vaccine. Cases have typically occurred in younger adults, men, and people with certain medical conditions or recent medical procedures. In contrast, COVID-19 disease can cause more severe myocarditis than the cases rarely seen after immunization.
These are rare and short-term occurrences. The risk is low and those affected usually recover quickly. Some people have required treatment, while others have not. Most cases are mild.
It is COVID-19 that could cause serious and long-term effects, making vaccination vitally important.
The science and data, now including younger children, continue to speak loud and clear: these safe, free vaccines will help children avoid the worst outcomes of this highly contagious virus.
Is a greater number of variants anticipated?
Unfortunately, as long as we have a large proportion of people who are unvaccinated, we're going to continue to see variants. I don't want to see the rest of the Greek alphabet, but we are absolutely planning to prepare for that. I think this virus is clearly difficult to predict.
There's a lot of speculation about new variants, and I think it's very difficult to know. The most important thing that people should know is that we know all the tools that really help, regardless of the variant, all the prevention efforts, and the harm reduction efforts, like proper mask wearing, good ventilation, testing, and getting vaccinated.
Are vaccines and boosters safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women?
Pregnant women are at higher risk of serious consequences from COVID-19 infection and so are their fetuses. There is increasing data showing how safe these vaccines are during pregnancy. So the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the potential risks when it comes to COVID-19.
If I were pregnant, I would definitely get vaccinated and it is definitely safe for women who are breastfeeding as well.
Finally, Dr. Pan reminded that, “Getting a booster shot is the best way to keep your immunity strong and protect yourself and your loved ones from being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19, including the recent Omicron variant that is spreading more. Californians should go out and get vaccinated.”
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