EXPLAINED: WHYWE SHOULD TAKE VACCINE
UAE hits a quick milestone as 1 million shots are given across the country
One of the vaccine’s key benefits is that it helps fight diseases caused by deadly pathogens such as Covid- 19. Also, read the first person account of a diabetic who took the vaccine
Vaccines have given us hope of ending the Covid- 19 pandemic. Most countries have rolled out inoculation programmes in a bid to achieve herd immunity. More than a million doses had been given in the UAE, according to the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention. Themove has certainly picked up pace.
On January 9, the country hit the 1- millionmark for vaccines administered, when 78,793more shots were given, which brought the number of doses to 1,020,349. On Sunday, 66,219 more doses were given — pushing the national rate further up to 10.99/ 100 people. The UAE’s efforts are focused on vaccinating frontline workers, people of determination, and the high- risk people, which includes the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the population is covered by the vaccination programme. The UAE has set a target of vaccinating more than 50 per cent of the country’s population against Covid- 19.
What does this mean?
It means vaccinations in the UAE are being done in earnest. Reaching the goal of more than 50 per cent will be a key milestone. It would mean one in every two persons would have had vaccine-induced immunity fromSARS- CoV- 2, the virus behind this pandemic which has upended our lives. It means a serious commitment fromthe country’s leadership to reach herd immunity through vaccination.
Howis theCovid- 19vaccination drive being done in the UAE?
The UAE has gone all out with the vaccination campaign. There are 96 locations across Abu Dhabi and at least seven vaccination centres in Dubai. There are 26 vaccination centres in Sharjah, seven in Ajman, four in Umm Al Quwain, 16 in Fujairah and 16 in Ras Al Khaimah, according to the Dubai Health Authority and the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention website. That means there area total of 172 vaccination centres across the country.
How do vaccines help fight the virus?
There’s one key benefit of a vaccine: It helps you fight diseases caused by deadly pathogens, like the SARS- CoV- 2. Vaccinated people will already have antibodies in their body waiting to fight the coronavirus. If you are not vaccinated, the immune system will produce the antibodies only after the infection. So, there’s a time lag. The delay can be prevented by vaccination.
Did anyone die after taking a SA RS-Co V -2 vaccine?
No. On the other hand, nearly twomillion people have died as a result of Covid- 19 infection. The world has numerous SARS- CoV- 2 coronavirus shots approved, following rigorous human trials involving tens of thousands of volunteers. None of those army of volunteers died, either. The human trials ( after animal tests) had been rigorous— double- blind, randomised and placebo controlled. Mathematically, given the huge number of volunteers who received the shots even before theywere approved, the risk of a serious deadly or adverse effect fromthe approved vaccines is minimal.
What if I’m afraid of this vaccine, more than the virus?
Check the facts yourself. If mathematics is the so- called “queen of the sciences”, the human trials done before the vaccines were approved have yielded the equivalent queen of spades. One important bit: In those human trials, volunteers who unfortunately developed serious cases of Covid- 19 actually came mostly (+ 90%) from the placebo group ( in the case of Pfizer and Moderna trials) and 86% efficacy for the Sinopharm shot ( with 99% sero conversion rate). It means one of several things:
1Vaccines
are one of the safest and effective health interventions for infectious disease.
2Considering
there’s still a high infection rate via natural viral transmission in the community in most parts of theworld, a vaccine would help arrest further transmission.
3With
high prevalence, you could get a serious case of coronavirus if you skip the vaccine.
4By
avoiding the shot, you could be a victim of self- sabotage, having believed in unfounded fears propelled by unscientific claims.
Why do many people believe in the wild claimsbyanti- vaxxers?
It comes from misunderstanding. Despite the fact that vaccines can prevent the spread of highly infectious ( and lethal) diseases, a number of people refuse vaccines. Anti- vaxxers are one reason why polio is creeping back to Pakistan, according to the WHO. The most virulent anti- vaxxers are driven by conspiracy theories.
How many vaccines have been approved in the UAE and what’s the dose?
Two. Pfizer/ BioNTech and Sinopharm. Across the world, there are at least five Covid- 19 shots approved today by various health authorities — Pfizer/ BioNTech, Moderna, Sinopharm, Gamaleya and Oxford/ AstraZeneca. Each UAE resident or citizen receives two doses of the vaccine, 21 to 28 days apart.
How effective are the vaccines?
Early evidence suggests that the first vaccines in the US helped reduce people’s risk of developing Covid- 19 by around 95 per cent. That means 5 per cent are still at risk of infection. The 95 per cent efficacy will be powerful only when the number
of cases decreases. “Five per cent of a really high number is still a high number, and what youwant is 5 per cent of a relatively lownumber,” Dr Ashish Jha, dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University in Rhode Island, told New York Times.
Vaccination is not a licence to ditch safety protocols. It’s not a passport to 2019. Itmay take a week or two for the body to build up some protection from the first dose of vaccine. But people should continue to be cautious.