To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate

Covid-19 is a known event, a pandemic, affecting people across the world. And we can learn the lessons from here.

Vaccines have come up. Mainly Moderna and Pfizer in Singapore. Over the past few months, people have took two doses of the vaccine. And now they have started the third dose. Individuals can now get their booster shots 5 months after the second dose.

Vaccination for children aged between five and 11 had also began before the end of 2021, after the authorities approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for this age group.

Now that Covid-19 vaccines have reached billions of people worldwide, the evidence is that no matter which one you take, the vaccines offer life-saving protection against a disease that has killed millions.

To Vaccinate: Protection

Based on the Ministry of Health, Covid-19 vaccines are effective and can reduce the risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes Covid-19. The vaccines also help children and adults from getting seriously ill even if they do get infected with the virus.

All Covid-19 vaccines approved by WHO for emergency use listing have been through randomized clinical trials to test their quality, safety and efficacy. To be approved, vaccines are required to have a high efficacy rate of 50% or above. After approval, they continue to be monitored for ongoing safety and effectiveness.

To Vaccinate: Convenience

By introducing vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS), Singapore has, de facto, made vaccination mandatory if people want to enjoy the freedoms given to the majority of the population.

Vaccination will be a mandatory condition for the approval of new applications for work passes, long-term passes and permanent residence in Singapore from Feb 1 2022.

Those renewing their work passes will also have to be vaccinated.

The Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) is also introduced to allow fully vaccinated travelers from one country to enter into another country without quarantine, subject to Covid-19 testing and further requirements determined by the country of destination.

Not To Vaccinate: Not 100% Effective

As a growing number of people in developed countries get fully vaccinated, questions are being asked about why some of them are still becoming infected with coronavirus, in some cases even being hospitalized with Covid-19.

It is shown that the vaccines are not 100% effective in preventing infection or reducing the risk of getting very sick. The vaccines will not prevent the virus from spreading once someone has been infected. Covid-19 is a highly infectious virus. It spreads easily from person to person, and even through air.

No vaccine is 100% effective. Even the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine – one of the most powerful disease prevention tools we have – is only 96% effective against measles after two doses, while the seasonal flu vaccine is only 45% effective. Still, it is estimated to prevent 130,000 flu deaths in the US alone each year.

Not To Vaccinate: Side Effects

There are common side effects included injection site pain, fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint pains, and chills. Most side effects are mild or moderate, and usually get better within a few days.

For the more serious cases, the most frequently reported were anaphylaxis and other severe allergic reactions. Anaphylaxis is a severe life-threatening allergic reaction. It is a known adverse reaction associated with vaccines in general.

There have also been numerous reports of suspected myocarditis and pericarditis cases following vaccination in the general population. Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammatory conditions affecting the heart muscles and the outer lining of the heart, respectively. Patients may present with symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or abnormal heartbeats. Local incidence rates remain low and the cases are usually mild and recover well.

The risk of myocarditis and pericarditis is observed to be highest in young males aged 30 years and below who received the vaccine. As a precautionary measure, adolescents and men below 30 years of age are advised to avoid strenuous physical activities such as running, weightlifting, competitive sports, or playing ball games for two weeks after each mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccination doses.