What does vaccination stand for ?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination is defined as the safe ,simple and effective way of protecting a person against harmful diseases,before coming into contact with that. Immunization uses your body’s natural defenses to create resistance against specific or selected infection and makes your immunity stronger.It trains your immune system to create antibodies,just as it does when it is exposed to a disease.
Armor yourself with herd immunity!
In other words, what exactly is herd immunity? It simply refers to the indirect protection from an infectious disease that occurs when a population has developed immunity to the disease, either through vaccination or immunity acquired through previous exposure to the disease. The World Health Organization recommends that “herd immunity” be achieved through vaccination rather than by allowing a disease to spread through any segment of the population, as this would result in an unnecessary number of cases and fatalities. Herd immunity against COVID-19 was achieved not by exposing people to the pathogen that causes the disease, but by protecting them through vaccination against the pathogen.
Oh My Ingredients !
Micronized fragments of the disease-causing organism or the blueprints for producing the micronized fragments are contained within vaccines. They also contain additional ingredients that help to ensure the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. In addition, these latter ingredients are present in the majority of vaccines and have been used for decades in the production of billions of doses of vaccines.
Each component of the vaccine serves a specific function, and each ingredient is thoroughly tested during the manufacturing process. All of the ingredients have been thoroughly tested for safety.
What kinds of vaccinations are you administering to me?
This is one of the most common questions that people ask their nurse or doctor before getting a vaccine. In Malaysia, there are several types of vaccines that are commonly used for the prevention of COVID-19 infection. You can find additional information by looking at the diagram below.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is an mRNA vaccine, which means that the vaccine sends “instructions” (in this case, mRNA) to cells, causing a chain reaction that results in our bodies producing antibodies that protect us from the COVID-19 virus. The COVID-19 virus is a type of virus that has been around for a long time.
How it works is that the vaccine sends instructions to cells, instructing them to produce a harmless protein piece that is also specific to the COVID-19 virus, which is then released into the body. As soon as the cell displays the protein fragment on its surface, the body’s immune system recognises that it is not supposed to be there, triggering an immune response that results in the production of antibodies against the COVID-19 virus.
To protect the body against the COVID-19 virus, the AstraZeneca vaccine is administered as a viral vector vaccine, which employs a modified version of a different virus (vector) to elicit an immune response and protect the body from the virus. How it works is as follows: after being vaccinated, the vector enters a cell in our body and causes the production of a spike protein. We will be able to see this spike protein on the cell’s surface, and our immune system will recognise that it is not supposed to be there. Upon receiving this information, the immune system will be activated, and the body will begin producing antibodies to combat what it believes to be an infection.
Inactivated vaccination known as Sinovac, on the other hand, is a virus that has been rendered inactive and is used to elicit an immune response without actually infecting the recipient with the virus. The vaccination tells the body to produce antibodies to fight against the Covid-19, which is transmitted through the air. The body becomes capable of fighting off live coronaviruses after being immunized.
So, people who have had the vaccine are protected against the virus without getting sick because of the virus, so they don’t get sick.
In Malaysia, who can get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Almost anyone can get it if they do not have any serious health problems. Malaysia has been rolling out its vaccination plan in stages since the first COVID-19 vaccine shots were administered on February 24, 2021. The COVID-19 vaccine was first made available to critical frontline workers in February 2021. Vaccinations for seniors aged 70 and up began islandwide in April 2021. Malaysians have begun to register their interest in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine on February 23, 2021.
Why is there a need for a booster?
Local and international data indicate that vaccine protection against COVID-19 infection begins to wane approximately six months or earlier after the final dose of the primary vaccination series. The level of protection deteriorated further over time.
Additionally, international studies have demonstrated that a primary vaccination series provides less protection against Omicron variant infection than previous variants and that boosters provide additional protection against infection and severe illnesses caused by Omicron. As a result, booster vaccination is critical for maintaining protection against COVID-19.
Depending on the vaccines you received, the following is the recommended schedule for receiving your booster shot:
- Pfizer-BioNTech / Comirnaty, Sinovac, AstraZeneca: Three months after your second dose
- Johnson & Johnson: Two months after your third dose
Who can get a booster dose?
1. Elderly – There will decrease in protection against severe disease, particularly in the elderly. According to MOH data, seniors who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 have a greater risk of developing a serious illness as a result of contracting the illness. Booster doses would significantly reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 complications in seniors.
2. People aged 18 and older : should receive a booster dose approximately three months after the final dose of their primary vaccination series, or as soon as possible thereafter. This will assist them in maintaining a high level of protection against COVID-19.
3. Immunocompromised individuals : They can take booster doses to have some extent of protection against COVID-19 vaccines.
4. Under 18 years old : Should get it after 3 months after the final dose of their first vaccination.
You can check out this page covid 19 for further information.