The coronavirus vaccines have been bombarded by a series of rumours and myths, which have unfortunately undermined public confidence, even in those who trust and understand the scientific process and medical expertise. The best way to tackle this is with facts, and we make it our business to bring the science to you!
Before the COVID-19 vaccine, the fastest vaccine ever developed was done in four years, and was used to treat mumps in the 1960s. Therefore, when the UK approved the emergency-use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on the 2nd of December 2020, there was a lot of speculation about the safety of the vaccines. People believe that the COVID-19 vaccine was rushed, not safe and can’t be trusted.
The truth
This relatively lightning-fast development of the COVID-19 vaccine was only accomplished due to the developments in nucleic acid-based vaccine science, the global collaboration, and the willingness of volunteers to partake in vaccine trials [1].
The vaccines seemed to be created in a relatively short span of time with a “new” technology such as mRNA. However, nucleic-acid based vaccines have been under development for more than three decades, read here for more information. Scientists have been working on these therapy techniques and have expressed confidence in their use through many rigorous scientific trials. There is more information about the steps to creating a vaccine here and our video.
Due to the fact that it was a global concern, this led to more funding and collaboration between scientists around the world. Rather than competing with each other, their collaboration was the key to fighting this virus much more quickly. Furthermore, with China quickly isolating and sharing the genetic information, it allowed scientists around the world to start vaccine development.
It is important to note that coronaviruses are not new to humanity. SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012 did a lot of damage to the Chinese and Arabian population [2]. Therefore, over the last decade, coronaviruses have been under intense study. These studies helped scientists to discover the spike protein which laid the groundwork for the current generation of COVID-19 vaccines, see more information about the spike protein here. Unfortunately, the history of research and development behind vaccines have never been adequately publicized, hence the uneasiness of the world’s population.
Another vital component was the willingness of the many volunteers to participate in the vaccine trials [1]. This allowed for the quick generation of data on the efficacy of the vaccines. Historically, access to data for drugs and vaccines has been limited to journal article publications, which are hard-to-access and difficult to read [1]. However, now there are several websites that facilitate data transparency, therefore, accessing this data is very easy, whether you are part of the scientific community or just interested in keeping up with the clinical trials.
Even if the vaccine seemed to be “rushed”, it still had to pass the requirements to be approved by the international health regulatory bodies. To understand these requirements, stay tuned for next week’s post about this procedure.
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Written by: Phaedra
Edited by: María and Natasha
BioDecoded is a volunteer group committed to sharing accurate scientific information. We cannot offer any specific health advice. If you have any doubts about getting vaccinated due to previous health conditions, please speak with your healthcare professional or family physician. Your doctor can revise your medical history and advise you on the best path to follow. If you have any questions about this topic, please comment or send them to our email.
References:
Tanveer S, et al. (2021). Transparency of COVID-19 vaccine trials: Decisions without data. BMJ evidence-based medicine 27:199-205. Available at: https://ebm.bmj.com/content/27/4/199
Al-Osail, A. & Al-Wazzah, M. (2017). The history and epidemiology of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine 12, 20. Available at: https://mrmjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40248-017-0101-8
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