Background
The SARS CoV-2 infections causing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the pandemic that has virtually brought everything to a halt globally is not a myth or a hoax, and evidence is there to prove that it cannot be a creation of man scientifically. Almost like what happened a century ago, countries ascribed with attributes of having the best health systems are also grounded.
COVID-19 has given an epitome of how future plagues are likely to affect the generations yet to come. From the discussions of scientists creating the virus for a country to assume the role of a super-power in the world to the blame of the World Health Oragnization (WHO) supporting some countries and pharma groups to achieve their desired goals through the blame of governments of countries reporting of non-existing COVID-19 cases to be able to borrow beyond measure, we must all agree that the pandemic has come to stay. None of these allegations could simultaneously be made to travel across borders.
With the information available about COVID-19, the virus with an incubation period of 2 to 14 days has a reproductive rate of 2.5 approximately. This means that each person that gets infected with the virus is likely to transmit the infection to about three more people (basic reproductive rate; R0 is defined as the average number of secondary transmissions from one infected person; when R0 is greater than 1, the epidemic is growing). Though it is one of the infectious pathogens described in history, it has a low fatality rate of 2.5% to 3.5%. In a group of aged people who were older than 85 years, a mortality rate of about 17% was recorded. Despite these low figures of how many people are likely to die from contracting the pandemic, the number is outrageous when compared to SARS CoV with 11% mortality rate that killed 916 of the 8422 infected, and Ebola which has a mortality rate of 54.6%; 75.5% has since discovered 1976 till the recent outbreak in 2020 killed a total of 15212 people globally (WHO, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ebola-virus-disease).
In Ghana alone, more than 50,000 individuals are known to have been infected with SARS Cov-2 which is far more than the number of people that were infected with SARS and Ebola all the days of the existence of the two pandemics in reference. One needs not to talk about the global figures and those that have lost their lives, else our mouth will water.
It is therefore expedient that in addition to the preventive and controls measures in place, we are able to get a vaccine to propel the success in fighting the pandemic. Just as a breakthrough is emerging, the old age conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine groups are at it again to water down the gains the scientific community has made globally. One wonders what they get from doing that.
Effects of Vaccines
Obviously, there is no doubt vaccines have been useful in fighting infectious diseases. Ever since the principle of vaccination was discovered by Edward Jenner, science has always delved into how knowledge about infectious agents could be used to obtain products to help prevent their transmission. Around 1796, the use of pustules from cowpox helped to mitigate the smallpox disease. Today, smallpox is eradicated. But it never came easy and without conspiracy even in those days. Anti-vaccine agents in those days cried foul and labeled those who administered the vaccine at that time as giving the mark of the beast. Had the global health community listened to such conspiracies, radiation of smallpox would not have happened.
Malaria vaccine (RTSS, Mosquirex)
Malaria kills about 600,000 children under five years annually in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since every life is valuable, saving even one life is enough justification for any intervention. Fortunately, scientists have been able to develop a malaria vaccine that protects about 60% of children against malaria in the first year of vaccination. With this level of protection, almost 400,000 children who receive the malaria vaccine are likely to be prevented from malaria-associated death. Yet such a great public health intervention with vaccine met its own level of conspiracy when it was introduced in Ghana in 2019. The public was not spared with the usual vituperation by anti-vaccine agents when the matter of mosquirex came up.
COVID-19 vaccine
There are many potential COVID-19 vaccine candidates currently in development. From the WHO’s website, there are three COVID-19 vaccines for which certain national regulatory authorities have authorized the use, and WHO anticipates the assessment for authorization of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of December and for some other candidates soon.
Large studies of 5 vaccine candidates’ efficacy and safety results, including these three (and for Moderna and AstraZeneca), have been publicly reported through press releases but only one (AstraZeneca) has published results in the peer-reviewed literature.
Types of COVID-19 vaccine being developed
Several different types of potential vaccines for COVID-19 are in development, including:
- Inactivated or weakened virus vaccines, which use a form of the virus that has been inactivated or weakened so it doesn’t cause disease, but still generates an immune response.
- Protein-based vaccines, which use harmless fragments of proteins or protein shells that mimic the COVID-19 virus to safely generate an immune response.
- Viral vector vaccines, which use a virus that has been genetically engineered so that it can’t cause disease, but produces coronavirus proteins to safely generate an immune response.
- RNA and DNA vaccines, a cutting-edge approach that uses genetically engineered RNA or DNA to generate a protein that itself safely prompts an immune response.
Development of the covid-19 vaccine (RNA, DNA, etc)
RNA vaccines: One of the COVID-19 vaccines hugely criticized is the mRNA vaccine. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give instructions for our cells to make a harmless piece of what is called the “spike protein.” The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html).
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines inside the immune cells, instruct the development of “spike proteins” on the surface of the cells to begin triggering the immune response that will protect against a real infection with SARS CoV-2. After the protein piece is made, the cell breaks down the instructions (mRNA) and gets rid of them. This technology has been explored over the years and became useful in getting a quick vaccine for COVID-19.
The vaccine by Pfizer, Inc., and BioNTech and by ModernaTX, Inc. are known mRNA. Two shots are given in the muscle of the upper arm 21 days apart. The vaccine has no egg, preservative, or latex. The Pfizer Inc. vaccine which has most of its ingredients as part of our natural cellular structure is not to be received by individuals who experience any of the following below;
• have any allergies
• have a fever
• have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner
• are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects your immune system
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding
• have received another COVID-19 vaccine
Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine included people from the following racial and ethnic categories:
- 81.9% White
- 26.2% Hispanic/Latino
- 9.8% African American
- 4.4% Asian
- <3% other races/ethnicities
Age and sex breakdown:
- 50.6% male
- 49.4% female
- 21.4% 65 years and older
The most frequent underlying medical conditions were obesity (35.1%), diabetes (8.4%), and pulmonary disease (7.8%).
Why would anyone suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are targeting to eliminate the Black race when clinical trials of the vaccine mostly occurred in whites even in the early phases of the trials? The conspiracy is great and must not be overlooked.
DNA vaccines: DNA vaccine consists of delivering genes or fragments of it, encoding immunogenic antigens to the host’s cells by using DNA plasmids as a vector. This approach induces both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses efficiently. The vaccine formulation is made such that the genetic material is translocated to the host’s cell nucleus as in the figure below.
Because of the limitations associated with DNA vaccines, several research lines focus on DNA vaccine optimization and delivery, including promoter design, codon optimization, adjuvants, use of electroporation, prime/boost immunization, or “omics” approaches for refined vaccine design. DNA vaccines have several advantages, such as induction of broad immune responses without any risk being associated with replicating microorganisms; stimulation of both cellular and humoral immunity; construction of a vector encoding different antigens in a single vaccine; efficient large-scale, low-cost, production; and high storage stability.
Why COVID-19 vaccine is necessary
There are reports of new strains of SARS Cov-2 globally. These new strains are known to be highly infectious but less lethal. If the contrary happens, the fatality to be recorded will be dire. Having a vaccine that may be able to cut across strains is necessary to be able to halt the spread of the pandemic in various countries particularly in the western world.
In addition to the use of a nose mask, social distancing, and washing of hands with soap and water, one most single effective intervention might be a potent vaccine.
It is the desire of any scientist and global health expert to see a vaccine introduced with minimal side effects to do the magic. As this is the prayer of everyone, just like the days of old, anti-vaccine conspiracists will rise to their usual rants and misinformation but it is incumbent on all to educate and make sure the life of the populace is protected.
Legal and Ethical implications of COVID-19 vaccines
The major discussions going on about COVID-19 vaccines surround the legal and ethical implications of using them. The need to protect the individual’s right compared to the responsibility of governments to protect other citizens has been a debate on various platforms. One wonders which one is superior. Many have alleged that using genetic materials to make vaccines is a ploy to mark and control the population and therefore propound the ethical implications of forcing people to be vaccinated.
Nevertheless, the global community and various governments have the responsibility to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and see how best to restore life to normalcy.
Conclusion
It is clear that the fight against the use of vaccines to battle infectious diseases did not start with COVID-19 and will not be the last. Looking at the positive effects of using vaccines to help in eradicating some diseases, juxtaposed with the side effects of vaccines, one is more likely to be inclined to supporting a vaccine for COVID-19 than a conspiracy which for all you know is borne out of vaccine phobia.
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