The Indian government has approved 2 vaccines simultaneously to combat the coronavirus, and the DCGI has also approved it.

India is the first country to have approved 2 vaccines simultaneously. The government has first approved the Covi-Shield vaccine of Serum Institute of India, Prime Minister Modi had also received information about this vaccine by giving a visit to Serum Institute of India based in Pune, second vaccine India Bio-Tech’s Co-Vaxin. Which has been approved by the government for Vaccination. And soon the first of this vaccine will be given free to Front Warrier.

A lot of rumors have spread among the common people about the corona vaccine, so let us know the answers to all the questions that are arising in your mind about the corona vaccine, which you need to know about.

The All FAQs About Coronavirus Vaccine?

1. When is the Corona vaccine likely to be; available?

Possibly the Government will get it by January and the private market by March.

2. Do we all need to take it?

Yes, all should take it.

3. Who will get it first?

It will be prioritized. First frontline workers. responders like paramedical staff, civil servants, police, army, politicians, and their families will get it first. People more than 50 years of age and those with co-morbidities like diabetes, HT, transplant, and chemotherapy patients will get it next. Then will be healthy adults, teenagers, children, and lastly neonates if at all.

4. How will it be given?

Through public and private centers, by doctors, dentists, nurses, and trained paramedics.

5. What is the approved dose and schedule?

Two doses are given 21 days or 28 days apart relying on the vaccine used.

6. What if I take only one dose?

One dose will give you only partial protection of probably 60-80% and will not last long sufficient. For complete protection, you must take two doses at the proposed spans.

7. What if I skip taking the second dose? Should I take the first again?

Just take the second dose at the head. No need to repeat the first dose.

8. Are both doses the same?

In most of the vaccines, it will be the same dose given twice. Yet, Sputnik- V vaccine has both doses as various vector viruses so will be marked as dose 1 and 2. Oxford-AZ vaccine may also come out with the first dose as a half dose.

9. Do you need to take it actually if you had Corona? After how many days of getting cured?

Yes. But that will be last on the preference list. You can let others take who maybe need more than you. You might need it earlier if you did not improve an antibody response.

10. Can it be administered to someone who has received plasma as a treatment for Covid?

The donor plasma includes anti-Covid-19 antibodies and may prevent the immune response to the vaccine. As it is, those who have recovered from Covid-19 may not need the vaccine in the early phases.

11. Can a pregnant lady or a lactating mother take the vaccine?

No company has yet tested the vaccine in pregnancy. CDC has advised against giving the vaccine to pregnant and lactating mothers. UK administrations have notified women not to get pregnant for two months after the shot. Since the vaccines available till now are not live vaccines, it should not cause any problem if given inadvertently.

12. Can a diabetic patient take the vaccine?

Yes, diabetes has been organized as a risk factor for severe disease and all diabetic patients must get vaccinated on preference.

13. If requested a choice of vaccines, which one should I take?

All vaccines are giving equal power although local reactions may be different. Take whatever available. Think positive that at small you are being offered a vaccine ahead of others. Indian manufactured vaccines will be more acceptable for our population as they are cheaper and can be kept at 2-8 degrees Celsius. The mRNA vaccines require a storing temp of -70 (Pfizer) and -20 (Moderna) which may be difficult to maintain in summer months.

14. How many days after getting the vaccine, would I develop protection?

Best protection starts 10 days after

the second dose. Efficacy is around 70-90% against all severity and 100% against hospitalization. The sudden aim is to prevent hospitalization and mortality.

15. How long will the vaccine provide immunity?

It is a new virus, a new technology vaccine, so we don’t know. After follow-ups of these vaccinated people and their antibodies for a couple of years, we would be wiser. The need for boosters and when will they be required will be agreed upon after these follow-ups and mathematical modeling.

16. Children of what age can be vaccinated? Is the dose the same as adults or a lesser dose to be given?

Trials done till now have been for adults above 18 only. Now trials for children above 12 have started. Doses will be decided only after trials are done on younger children and newborns.

17. Can it be given to immunocompromised individuals?

The mRNA vaccine and inactivated vaccines are safe. AZ and Sputnik-V adenovirus vector vaccines are also safe as they are nonreplicating viral vector vaccines. Live vaccines and replicating viral vector vaccines will have to be avoided.

18. What are the side effects expected?

The side effects reported by the trial population are mostly mild Covid like symptoms like some fever and fatigue. Local injection site pain and induration are also reported. Reports of transverse myelitis and facial palsy are not associated with the vaccine. Generally, all vaccines are safe. Although these vaccines have been made in record time, the testing methodology and methods have not been negotiated.

19. I am allergic to eggs. Can I take the vaccine?

Egg cell lines are not used for the production of these vaccines. They can be taken safely even if you are allergic to eggs.

20. I heard that it has pig or monkey products? 

The new vaccines produced these days are without any such products.

21. In the past vaccines have been linked to Autism. What about these?

In 1985 there was a paper linking MMR with autism. Millions of children followed up after that have conclusively confirmed that there is no relationship between vaccines and autism. All vaccines are extremely safe with the least temporary side effects.

22. Messages are going around that mRNA from vaccine gets incorporated into the human genome and alter our congenital structure. Is that true?

mRNA vaccine holds a message to the cell to produce spike protein which induces antibody production. It does what it is organized to do. To date, there have been no adverse events noted.

23. What is the interaction of alcohol and the Covid vaccine?

Excessive alcohol can decrease immune responses to vaccines. Since Russians are known for heavy drinking, their government has informed avoiding drinking two weeks before the first dose and 6 weeks after the second dose. The Sputnik vaccine is given as two doses 21 days apart.

A few glasses of wine or beer will not interfere with the immune response.

24. Soon the virus will mutate and we will need another vaccine. Should we not wait?

Till now the virus has not shown a tendency to mutate like the Flu virus. Yet, the vaccines being developed have analyzed this and should still work.

25. What if I do not want to take the vaccine? Will it be made mandatory?

In the majority of countries, it will not be necessary. You have to choose between the new viral disease with no certain treatment and a new vaccine. The choice is yours. As initially there will be a huge demand-supply gap, by not taking a vaccine you can help others.

26. If I fall in the category of the priority list by being a senior citizen or with a co-morbid situation, how do I get the appropriate vaccination authority?

Soon there will be a website and an app ‘CoWIN’ where you will be able to register with your relevant facts.

27. What is CoWin?

It is the world’s first, digital, end to end, vaccine distribution and management system. It includes beneficiary registration, authentication, document verification, session allocation, AEFI reporting, and certificate generation. Earlier the vaccine is available, it will generate an SMS notifying the beneficiary. The vaccine center itself will be managed by five people and will give a maximum of 100 vaccines per day. The vaccine recipient has to wait for 30 minutes before evacuating the center post-vaccination.

28. What are the different types of Corona vaccines likely to be available for use in the e n near future?

*Covishield*, by Serum Institute of India (Oxford AstraZeneca) is a non-replicating viral vector vaccine. These are viruses that have been modified to act as delivery systems that carry the viral antigens to our immune cells. Chimpanzee adenovirus is the vector used to deliver the coronavirus antigen in the SII vaccine and human adenoviruses in *Sputnik* V (Russian vaccine, made in India by Dr. Reddy’s lab).

 *Covaxin*, by Bharat Biotech India Ltd is a whole-cell inactivated vaccine. Most of the current vaccines being used in Pediatric immunization

are prepared by this technology. Since these are killed viruses, they produce immunity, but cannot affect the disease.

 *Pfizer* and *Moderna* vaccines from the USA, consisting of messenger RNA molecules. They carry the coded message which induces the human cell to manufacture spike protein of the Coronavirus. These proteins are recognized by our immune system to produce antibodies.

Other Indian companies like Biological E, Cadila Healthcare, and Genova are also in an advanced stage of vaccine development.

29. Can I roam around without a mask once I am vaccinated?

No, not as of now. One may do so only when the majority of the population has either got the disease or obtained the vaccine. This suggests the population has developed herd immunity.

30. Are newer and better Covid vaccines required in near future?

As of December 2020, more than 250 vaccines are under trial in different stages. A lot of research is underway to develop newer delivery techniques also. The nasal spray vaccine is probably the most promising. A multi-dose nasal spray delivery device can be very useful and economical.

It will produce local IgA antibodies and block the virus at the entry itself. It will reduce nasal colonization and thus prevent transmission of disease also. Unfortunately, since it will be a live vaccine, it will need the maximum and most severe trials and thus will take the longest time to hit the market.

Covid-19 is still a new disease and we are still understanding. The facts mentioned above are as of 14 December 2020. Please re-check the facts before taking a Covid vaccine shot.

No vaccine gives 100% protection. Also, a vaccinated person may not develop the disease but may transmit it to others. Please continue to wear a mask, examine the physical distance, and sanitize hands for some more time. 

Stay safe.