Simple and Easy to understand Clarification of doubts about Indian Covid Vaccines

There have been a lot of messages and misunderstandings about the Covid Vaccines developed . In India across different channels lot of queries and doubts have been cast regarding the Covid 19 Vaccines . This podcast is an attempt to clarify in simple laymen language about covid Vaccines

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Music

(00:20):
So, Hi Good Evening, I have been seeing a lot of messages and lot of confusions revolving around vaccine, vaccination and the method of vaccine development
its potential not effectiveness or it causing infection etc in the last few days not only in this group but in multiple groups

(00:43):
So, let me just send you some clarifications that I am sharing with you to the best of my knowledge and experience as a doctor
Vaccine or vaccination there are various ways of developing the vaccine or a vaccine that is injected to all whether it is a polio vaccine

(01:04):
or whether it is any of the vaccines we have received as a child. There are two methods, one method is when the whole virus or bacteria
that is causing the infection is taken, it is killed, it is basically in medical terms we call it deactivated, it is a killed virus or bacteria

(01:25):
that is used to make vaccine. Now, in past there are lot of vaccines made in this method and still they are being made so let us leave them aside
The other method is that a part of the virus that is taken which is recognized by the body as an foreign object
that part of the virus which causes the reactions in the body is taken and that part of the virus is injected onto another bacteria

(01:52):
or it is used solely as a, inside a vaccine medium. So, either it is a part of the virus or bacteria or it is the dead bacteria
or it is a part of the virus which is taken, it is reprogrammed into a different non-infective organism

(02:13):
like a bacteria or a virus, non-infective bacteria or a virus where it is inserted so that part which is recognizable of a
respective virus or bacteria is seen by the body like for example in the COVID virus, it is the SARS-CoV virus, SARS-CoV-2
there is a spike protein, if you see it is called the spike protein because that protein is what gives it the appearance of a crown and hence it is called

(02:43):
Corona virus. So, Corona virus is a family of viruses which have been existing for a long time out of which this new Corona virus
or called as SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that has been really, that is the one that has happened to us now and is happening to us now
and that's why it is called also for common people called as COVID-19. So, the spike protein of SARS-CoV and certain part of the SARS-CoV

(03:09):
all virus is taken and that is either used in the solution which is there or it is inserted onto a different virus or a bacteria which is of non-infective nature.
So, understand this one fundamental, the vaccine cannot give you COVID. First thing, come what may a COVID vaccine does not have a live COVID virus

(03:37):
or a whole COVID virus also for that matter to give you any kind of Corona infection. So, if anybody is telling you that they got COVID because of vaccine
please don't fall prey to that message. I beg of you do not listen and do not agree for such rumors. Point number two, can I get infected after taking a vaccine?

(04:03):
Now, let's understand that point. When you talk about getting infected under vaccine, let's understand first how does a vaccine work.
Once the vaccine is injected, the body recognizes as a foreign object. Once the body recognizes this as a foreign object, it will start developing defenses against that object.

(04:24):
These are called as antibodies. Now, antibodies and cells, there are certain cells, you know the white blood cells when you do the test of different type of white blood cells.
Out of that white blood cells, there are some white blood cells and then there are certain antibodies. These are the body's defenses that are produced against any foreign object
an organism, bacteria, virus that attacks our body. That's how the body survives. Now, once this is, virus is recognized by the body, the body starts building up

(04:57):
those defense mechanisms like the antibody. Now, antibody production takes place and that antibody aims at neutralizing.
What neutralizing typically means is destroying or killing that virus or bacteria or whatever is the attacking organism.
Now, when that happens, the organism gets destroyed. So, now the body gets programmed that something like this comes, I have to send out these kind of stuff.

(05:28):
So, antibodies are ready in the body now. Why a booster dose is given? After the first dose that is given, the body has just started recognizing that antigen.
Antigen as in the bacteria or the virus. So, that is antigen, they are called as antigen, the attacking organism. And antibodies what we develop as an anti to those antigen.

(05:50):
So, that is the second part. Now, if you understand the antibody development is going to take time, it is not like taking a paracetamol tablet that if you have a fever, you take paracetamol.
Paracetamol goes inside and it reduces the fever. It does not work like that. It is something that body has to develop.
So, let's try to understand the situations of oxygen crisis. The concentrators need to be developed. I am not trying to say that the current oxygen crisis is understandable or pardonable.

(06:18):
Let's not go to that political angle of it. I am not talking about politics. So, there is a time that will take for it to develop.
When a booster dose is given, because the body is already primed, that virus is identified faster and the amplification of the antibody production takes place.

(06:41):
That means the antibodies that are being made, they are now going to be produced faster at a higher rate and in larger quantities. So, this means that after the sufficient amount of antibodies are ready,
if there is an attack of the virus that is coming in, that attack will automatically get neutralized and before the virus can cause any damage to you, it will be destroyed.

(07:11):
So, let's try to understand this fundamental that vaccination is not a raincoat that will not allow the virus to come in your body or a bacteria to come in the body.
That raincoat is your mask. That raincoat is the distance you keep between your hand and face. That raincoat is washing your hands.

(07:35):
So, what does a vaccine do in such a case? The vaccine in such a case does is that this vaccine is going to take care of that bacteria or virus and destroy it before it gives you any kind of damage.
That is the main role of the vaccine. The second thing that the vaccine can do is if you have an antibody which may be less than the amount of virus that enters in your body, then it will still destroy.

(08:07):
It may take a little longer time, but the effect of the vaccine is going to be such that it will reduce and deplete the effect of the infection, the quantity and the seriousness of infection.
I being a doctor, I know personally so many of my doctor friends have got infected after taking vaccination, but due to vaccine the load of the virus that finally enters into the body and effects is significantly reduced.

(08:38):
They have recovered with barely a scratch. So, that's a way of, I mean they don't get scratched, that's a way of putting it across. So, they have recovered with barely any problem.
So, bacteria, viruses, they will attack. The vaccine is there to prevent you from the attack in the phase that it will ready, the defenses are already ready when they attack you and the defenses will destroy the virus before it can cause any damage to your body.

(09:03):
So, you may have one, no infection at all. Two, you may have a very very very very very very low infection if you get infected.
So, third thing is that how soon it will take place, how soon is this developing. First and foremost, after you take the first dose you have a certain degree of immunity, but it's a pretty low immunity level because the amount of antibodies produced are less.

(09:30):
Second thing is that after the second dose is given, then only the second level of booster, when the booster dose, second dose is given, the amount of antibodies produced is going to rise like anything compared to first time and it's going to give you the protection.
Now, how long after the second dose, it may take minimum two weeks, it can go up to six weeks, four to six weeks after you get the second booster dose to have a significant amount of antibodies in your body.

(10:04):
So, please try to not blame the vaccine, try to understand the basic fundamentals or principles of vaccination happening. COVID vaccine works in the same manner as any other vaccine that you have taken in your childhood or have given to your child.
So, don't run away from it, it is the need, it is the necessity. The third thing is, do these vaccines, the next thing, I have lost the count of it, the next thing is that do these vaccines have a side effect, any vaccine can have a certain amount of side effect.

(10:38):
Let's try to understand these COVID vaccines were released as an emergency and the protocol of R&D was fastened up. So, they may have a side effect, the side effects, most common side effects are mild like fever, body ache, pain, muscle pain, etc.
And that does not reduce your immunity, no, your immunity does not reduce, your immunity towards COVID virus is not existent. Let's try to face that fact. The third thing is that, sorry, I keep saying third thing, the next thing is that there are very rare, very severe reactions that can occur, these are very very very very rare.

(11:17):
And this rarity is so rare and it can happen across any medicine including your simple paracetamol tablet that you take or for any medical procedure, no medical procedure is ever 100% successful.
Let's try to understand that very basic fact. So, how much are these vaccines efficacy? These vaccines are having effectiveness up to 90%. Does that mean that 90% of the people vaccinated will be safe? No.

(11:46):
It means that everybody will be safe but some people will be completely safe, some people will be safe up to 90% of the normal effectiveness.
So, vaccine is effective, please don't fall for rumors, please don't fall for fear mongering, nobody is going to inject poison, nobody is going to inject you water, nobody is going to do all that kind of stuff, nobody is that cruel.

(12:09):
Yes, there may be some chipsters but trust your local authorities, don't go for any political talk, don't go for any political messages, violators, you may be favoring BJP, Congress, RSS, god knows whichever party, don't go for those talks.
Please, this is not the time for political talks. Please think about basic science of vaccination, once you understand the basic principles of vaccine working, you will not shy away from it.

(12:35):
One of the major contributing factors to this big huge second wave are two things. One, we became careless when the first wave started reducing and the Covid started going.
And second thing is when the vaccines were available at the initial stages, people did not get vaccinated when they should have been and lot of doses of vaccine vials had to be thrown away simply because once opened they had a certain shelf life.

(12:59):
So please listen to this message, it's a long message and I hope it gives you some clarity on what you have to say.

(13:29):
Thank you.