The National Institute of Health Vaccine Research Center has been working on a vaccine since the beginning of the epidemic. Read HERE to learn more about the vaccination development history.
These new RNA vaccines are different from traditional vaccines in that our own cellular machinery is used to produce the antigen (Covid’s spike protein) that your immune system can then respond to. After getting the vaccine, most people will have mild flu-like symptoms as they manufacture antibodies in response to the new antigen. They then will have the antibodies pre-made if exposed to the actual virus.
This excellent VIDEO answers a lot of the questions about the new vaccines.
A concerning issue with the Covid-19 vaccines is the risk of anaphylactic reaction. The new vaccines have relatively few ingredients, but do contain lipids and polyethylene glycol which may be the source of allergic reactions. See below for Moderna and Pfizer Covid Vaccine Ingredients.
If you have a history of allergy of anaphylaxis, these vaccines may not be a good choice. Additionally, health officials suggest waiting 15-20 minutes at the vaccination location center after obtaining a vaccine in case you have an adverse reaction.
There are a lot of unanswered questions about these vaccines. One unknown is if a vaccinated individual can transmit the virus to someone else. Because researchers are currently unable to answer this question, the use of a face mask continues to be suggested for everyone, regardless of vaccination history. Bummer.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine ingredient list:
- mRNA
- Lipids including:
- (4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate)
- 2 [(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide
- 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine
- cholesterol
- potassium chloride
- monobasic potassium phosphate
- sodium chloride
- dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate
- sucrose
The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine ingredient list.
- mRNA
- Lipids
- SM-102
- polyethylene glycol [PEG] 2000 dimyristoyl glycerol [DMG]
- cholesterol
- 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DSPC])
- tromethamine
- tromethamine hydrochloride
- acetic acid
- sodium acetate
- sucrose