10 Covid-19 anti-vaxxer questions answered.
This article is in response to a very popular anti-vaxxer propaganda video that has been circulating on social media in in the early months of 2021. In the video, man attempts (but fails miserably) to challenge and discredit official government and scientific responses to questions about the Covid-19 vaccine.
In this article, we will re-examine the video and provide simple and clear answers to those questions.
It is important to note that the covid-19 epidemic has hit different countries and continents differently and different governments have perceived and responded differently. Many countries such as Canada have relied on health experts and scientists to propose the best practices and policies to counter the covid-19 pandemic while others such as Tanzania have been widely indifferent with calls to prayer and no informed official policy. The governments that have unified around a science based approach have adopted very similar strategies to control the virus such as school lockdowns, social distancing, mask mandates and travel restrictions.
Question 1: If I get vaccinated can I stop wearing a mask?
Answer: No
Why not? First, the vaccine stimulates your body to produce antibodies that can help to fight against the virus if you get infected but it does not prevent the virus from entering your body. A mask on the other hand, prevents the virus from entering your body and prevents you from spreading it by trapping and containing viral particles when you talk, cough or sneeze but it does not help you when you are already infected. Look at it this way, a mask is like a high fence around your house to keep burglars out. The fence is useless to you once the burglars are already inside your house but it can also slow them down when they want to leave. The vaccine on the other hand, is like a gun that you keep in your house for protection. It does not prevent burglars from entering your house but it helps you to fight and defeat them when they are already in. In order to get the best protection, you are better off with both the gun and the fence.
Secondly, the best vaccines available at the moment such as the Pfizer vaccine has 94% efficiency meaning that even though the risk is significantly reduced, there is still a 4% chance of developing serious illness or even dying from the virus despite taking the most efficient vaccine. The best option remains to get the vaccine and also to continue to use the face mask until we achieve herd immunity.
Question 2: If I get vaccinated, will the restaurants, bars, schools, fitness clubs, hair saloons etc. reopen and will people be able to get back to work like normal?
Answer: No
Because, the vaccine provides up to 94% protection to you who have been vaccinated but you can still potentially spread the virus and endanger the lives of others around you who have not been vaccinated. However, if everybody gets vaccinated and herd immunity is achieved then everything can get back to normal.
Question 3: If I get vaccinated will I be resistant to Covid?
Answer: Probably
The vaccine will reduce your chances of developing serious symptoms or dying from the virus by up to 95% but it does not stop the virus from entering your body hence you don’t become resistant to it; your body becomes more capable of fighting it.
Question 4: If I get vaccinated, at least I won’t be contagious to others right?
Answer: No
When you’re fully vaccinated from COVID-19, your risk of getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19 might be very low. But if you become infected, you might spread the COVID-19 virus to others even if you don’t have any signs or symptoms of COVID-19. Vaccination directly protects you who has been vaccinated but the protection cannot cover 100% of all other people around you.
Question 5: If I get vaccinated, how long will the vaccine last?
Answer: About 6 months, more research is needed
The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines offer immunity against COVID-19 for at least six months and might offer protection for up to two to three years. However, they will most likely have to be administered annually. This is because immunity wanes as antibody levels drop in response to a lack of use.
Question 6: If I get vaccinated, can I stop social distancing?
Answer: No
Vaccinated people should continue to observe safety precautions, such as social distancing (about 6 feet, or 2 meters) with others, when they are:
- In public
- Visiting people who are unvaccinated and at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19
- Visiting people who have an unvaccinated household member at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19
- Visiting unvaccinated people from many households
Question 7: If my parents, grandparents and myself get vaccinated, can we hug each other again?
Answer: Yes
According to recent guidelines, people who have been vaccinated can gather indoors without the need for social distancing and masks use. You are considered vaccinated after 2 weeks after you get your second dose of any mRNA vaccine or 2 weeks after receiving the J&J vaccine.
- Visit other fully vaccinated people indoors — without wearing masks or avoiding close contact
- Visit unvaccinated people from one household who are at low risk for severe illness from COVID-19 — indoors and without wearing masks or avoiding close contact
Question 8: Are you sure the vaccine won’t injure or kill me?
Answer: Highly improbable
All vaccines are thoroughly tested for efficacy and safety before being approved for human use. Although COVID-19 vaccines clinical trials only started in the summer of 2020, it’s not yet clear if these vaccines will have long-term side effects given that vaccines rarely cause long-term side effects.
To ensure proper documentation and follow-up, many governments have set up sites, bodies and commissions (some with toll free numbers) to report any side effects. For example, in the U.S.A, safety data on COVID-19 vaccines will be reported to a national program called the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. This data is available to the public. The CDC has also created v-safe, a smartphone-based tool that allows users to report COVID-19 vaccine side effects.
Question 9: So if I get vaccinated, can I protect 100% of the people that I come in contact with?
Answer: No
When you’re fully vaccinated from COVID-19, your risk of getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19 might be very low. But if you become infected, you might spread the COVID-19 virus to others even if you don’t have any signs or symptoms of COVID-19. Vaccination directly protects you who has been vaccinated but the protection cannot cover 100% of all other people around you.
Question 10: If I experience a severe adverse reaction, long term effects (still unknown) or die from the vaccine will I (or my family) be compensated from the manufacturer or from the government?
Answer: It depends on where you live
Some health authorities such as in Abu Dhabi have accepted to take responsibility to receive, investigate and respond to all adverse reactions to vaccines within