Since the spread of Covid-19 in 2020, the virus has successfully immobilised our lives in many ways. Many people lost their jobs, the world is thrown into chaos, and many lives were unfortunately lost to Covid-19. Last year, while many of us are still in a state of confusion, scientists have rushed to create vaccines to eradicate or contain the virus hopefully. Here, we have listed the vaccines that are available right now.
Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine
Based on evidence from clinical trials, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people without evidence of the previous infection. (According to data by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Moderna Vaccine
Based on evidence from clinical trials, the Moderna vaccine was 94.1% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people who received two doses who had no evidence of being previously infected. (According to data by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
The J&J/Janssen vaccine was 66.3% effective in clinical trials (efficacy) at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people who had no evidence of prior infection two weeks after receiving the vaccine. People had the most protection two weeks after getting vaccinated. (According to data by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
AstraZeneca Vaccine
Based on data provided by the manufacturer, the Astrazeneca-Oxford vaccine, or AZD1222, has shown to be 63% effective in an ongoing, large-scale clinical trial. (According to WHO)
CanSinoBio Vaccine
CanSino Biologics Inc’s (CanSinoBIO) COVID-19 vaccine showed 65.7% efficacy in preventing symptomatic cases and a 90.98% success rate in stopping the severe disease in an interim analysis of global trials. (According to Reuters)
Sinovac Vaccine
China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine was 67% effective in preventing symptomatic infection. Data from a vast real-world study in Chile has shown a potential boost for the jab, which has come under scrutiny over its level of protection against the virus. (According to Reuters)
Sputnik V
Sputnik V is one of the three vaccines in the world, with an efficacy of over 90%. The vaccine’s effectiveness is confirmed at 91.6% based on data analysis on 19,866 volunteers, who received both the first and second doses of the Sputnik V vaccine or placebo at the final control point of 78 confirmed COVID-19 cases. (According to Sputnik V official website)
The Controversies with Some Vaccines
As of late, many controversies have shrouded over the use of some vaccines when cases of a blood clot after receiving vaccination doses surface. AstraZeneca vaccines have been dropped in many countries following reports of a blood clot in recipients are receiving doses of the vaccines. Several deaths have also been reported that are linked to AstraZeneca vaccines. According to BBC, the causes of the occurrence of blood clot has not been determined, however, after investigations, patients that developed the blood clots were all found to have low numbers of platelets, and the risk appears to increase in younger people.
Similarly, Johnson & Johnson has paused its rollout in the EU after cases were detected. According to the BBC, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a temporary pause on the vaccine after one patient died from blood clotting complications.
Is It Necessary to Take the Covid-19 Vaccine?
WHO has stated that the Covid-19 vaccines produce protection against the disease due to developing an immune response to the virus. This also means reducing the risk of developing the illness and its consequences.
