By now globally should know the serious threat of the India variant, B1617. Singapore with no exception already have fully vaccinated personal (either with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine) infected with the B1617 variant. That led to the most common question that I came across in social media -- why vaccinated still can get infected ?
I have never believe that once you get vaccinated you won't be infected so the present infection on vaccinated personals did not come across as a shock for me. What's shocking me was in the past months when I interact with people regarding the vaccine, especially the elderly, all of them have the thought that once vaccinated you won't get infected. Obviously, I couldn't correct them since I'm not a doctor and the very important one -- I'm not the government. This is the same reaction from social media from the younger generation despite being more educated. Yes, that the cruel and brunt reaction I got from some when I tried to correct them. This is just one question among many that I have regarding the Covid-19 vaccine. I believe if these questionable are not clearly explained by the "experts", the fight against Covid-19 will be difficult.
Question 1
What's the purpose of the vaccine if still able to get infected after fully vaccinated ?
Above is the snapshot I got it from MOH website regarding the nation wide vaccination program. If you read through the whole thing, there isn't a single sentence that explicitly said "YOU WILL NOT BE INFECTED AFTER VACCINATED" or "YOU COULD STILL BE INFECTED AFTER VACCINATED". Prior to the recent case of fully vaccinated personal being infected, have any of our local expert came follow to warn the public infection is still possible after fully vaccinated ? So, why people having the wrong impression then ? A simple sentence such as "Vaccinated could still get infected but it reduces the severity and risk of transmission" could be inserted into the above message. This will give the public a clearer picture of what and how vaccination work. Without doubts, is a miscommunication there. If Covid-19 didn't kill, miscommunication could !
I came across an article months ago from a foreign medical expert explaining the purpose of the vaccine and he did a very good job in explaining that made me wonder why not a single local expert in this nation did that. What this expert said what assuming Covid-19 infection is divided into 4 stages, the purpose of the vaccine is to prevent the infection from advancing beyond the 2nd stage. The severity of infection increases across the 4 stages with the final one being death. By his logic, I assume the first stage means infected with no symptoms. As such even if the virus is inside the body, he/she will not aware of while the immune system in the body build up the antibody to destroy it. The second stage should be those showing symptoms while the immune system build up the antibody to destroy it. The third meaning in need to be in ICU already. Ghee, I wonder if our Government and medical experts are able to explain that detail to the nation, the people would know why vaccination is needed and at the same time won't be having the complacency against Covid-19 even if they are vaccinated.
Question 2
Currently, there are two technology in developing the Covid-19 vaccine. One that uses the mRNA technology (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, etc) and the other one using the conventional method (Sinovac). The former can reach an efficiency rate of 95% while the later at best is 70%+. mRNA is not a new technology, it has been tested in the labs but not use on human prior to this. This brings the question of long-term side effects. We do not have a sizeable population that 10 years ago used the mRNA technology developed vaccine and now showing no long-term side effects. Thus, any long-term side effects still a big unknown. You can't say don't have and you can't say have either at this point of time. Simply no data to conclude. Meanwhile those vaccine makers are exempted from any legal liabilities by most countries should any long-term side effects kick in. One of the possible side effect being talked about lately is neurological disease. It can't be proven to be true but couldn't proven to be false either as neurological disease takes times (years or even decades) to develop which we have yet to reach that stage. Not to mention some of the neurological diseases have no cure at all. The questionable part is it said the benefits outweigh the risks. How can such a statement be made when the risks still a big unknown ? Comparing a countable number against a question mark ?
Question 3
Vaccine efficiency. From social media and people that I interacted with, it gave me the impression that most people take the efficiency of the vaccine as to whether you get infected or not. That is to say for example the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with an efficiency rate of 95% as it stated meaning of 100 people, 95 will not get infected while the remaining 5 will. Is the vaccine a force shield whereby the virus will repel away when in contact ? If that is not, then the efficiency rate is definitely not referring to whether you get infected or not. Vaccine is not a cure, its purpose is to help the immune system to recognize the virus and build up the antibody to destroy it. The efficiency rate in this case is more like 95% of the infected people will not either die from it or getting into more serious state. Isn't that sound more logical ? Since vaccine still need the body immune system to fight the virus, if a vaccinated person but with a weak immune system due to unhealthy lifestyle (alcohol, cigarette, frequent consumption of unhealthy food) will it be better than someone who is not vaccinated but keep a very healthy lifestyle giving his/her body a stronger immune system. You think about it !
Question 4
Herd immunity. This is what is being suggested by having large population being vaccinated. Is this really achievable and workable against Covid-19 ? Putting aside the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic since not many people now were born then or have experienced it. Just looking at 2003 SARS, 2009 Swine Flu and 2012 MERS. None of those pandemic has experienced so much mutation within a short period of time. In Covid-19, we have the UK variant, the South Africa variant, the Brazil variant, the India variant and some other variants surfaced within 2-year time frame. On the other hand, the vaccine we have been developed in speed of light rate (1 year vs conventional 10 to 15 years) is solely based on the data of the original virus and none of those variants. It might still be efficient and might be not depending on how those mutate into. Assuming the scenario whereby 95% of the population is fully vaccinated with the remaining 5% is not vaccinated due to medical condition. Among the 95% based on the efficiency, not 100% of those are fully insulated by the vaccine. The virus or any of the mutated strains inside the body of those not fully insulated by the vaccine could mutate to another strain that is able to overcome the protection from the vaccine. If the newly mutated strain is more contiguous or deadly, the 95% that is fully vaccinated will not be protected either. This will render the herd immunity as useless. Is such scenario possible ? Afraid answer is possible. The basic of life science is "living things react to changes to seek for survival". Virus is a micro-organism just like other living things, they will mutate against the changes (that is the protection from the vaccine). Under the circumstances that the virus mutation rate is so fast, is the herd immunity approach still workable ?
Question 5
There are some countries decide to ease the rule of mask off for those fully vaccinated person in open air and less crowded area. While this is not totally incorrect but the message trying to convey floats question. To fight off the Covid-19 virus and its variants could not be just solely the vaccine. In open air and less crowded area, conditions are totally different from indoor and more crowded area for virus transmission to take place. Open air has in general higher surrounding temperature and much better air ventilation than indoor. It is a general knowledge that virus survival rate will be reduced as the surrounding temperature increases. The virus could well be weaken or destroyed before it could transmit to another person. Less crowded and crowded area needless to say is referring to the distance between people and that should not need further elaboration on the difference. If we don't put in all these factors and immediately deduce vaccination itself will do the job, this will give people the incorrect perception and we may soon back to square one again.
The above are just some of the prominent questions regarding Covid-19 vaccine. Any questions that are not answered or clarified could easily lead to confusion, incorrect perception or worse case miscommunication which neither is good in the global fight against Covid-19. As medical experts are the one that know in depth of the virus and vaccine, they should dare to speak up (against any possible political influence), clarify any questionable and educate the public. Ain't their basic mission is to save life ?
Singapore Covid-19
主将无能垮三军
左士缺策只砸钱
右士辱人自被辱
左象无计只会泣
右象理人理出祸
左马略识色不分
右马讲据终慢拍
小卒仗权乱闹事
大敌当前夸本领
火烧眉头方才悟
城门紧闭称闭窗
高傲自大多借口
知错不认真懦夫
领导者最佳战友
为何小红点缺乏
是否无勇气拥有
是否缺远见拥有
是否不知怎拥有
还是不想去拥有
