A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by employees at a Houston hospital who did not want to be vaccinated for COVID-19, claiming that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe. In the June 12, 2021 ruling, U.S. district Judge Lynn Hughes rejected the lead plaintiff’s claim that the vaccines are experimental and dangerous.
This case is indicative of how many people believe that the COVID-19 vaccine could either kill or harm them in some way. But as scientists in public health, infectious diseases and vaccine development, we know that these claims are not just false – they are lethal. In the U.S. today, the vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 occur among the unvaccinated.
Over the course of history, vaccines have allowed humanity to successfully combat viral diseases – some to the point of eradication. Here, we break down the role that vaccination plays in the fight against infectious disease, illustrate how the benefits far outweigh the risks and explain why everyone should be eager to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Revving up the immune system
Vaccines are one of the most innovative public health interventions in medical history. They activate the most effective human weapon against viruses that exists – our own immune system.
Vaccines show the immune system what the virus looks like so our bodies can manufacture specific antibodies to that virus. These antibodies then bind to and inactivate or destroy invading viruses.
In addition to antibodies, the immune system also generates immune-active lymphocytes programmed to specifically seek out, bind to and destroy invading viruses. Together, these antibodies and immune-active lymphocytes help the immune system quickly recognize viruses and often wipe them out before the host knows they’ve been exposed. The immune response may also reduce the consequences of infection to little more than minor symptoms.
The latest weapon against viruses: mRNA vaccines
mRNA vaccines contain only the genetic code for the spike proteins the COVID-19 virus uses to attach to cells, not the virus itself. This code primes the immune system to recognize the spike protein and manufacture antibodies against it. When the actual COVID-19 virus arrives, the immune system is then prepared to make antibodies against the invaders’ spike protein and thwart its entrance into cells.
This technology is new only in the sense that it had not yet been deployed when COVID-19 emerged. Tests of mRNA technology have been ongoing since the early 1990s.
It took under a year to develop an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19. This was not because the process was rushed, but because coronaviruses had already been studied in detail for previous outbreaks. Scientists knew in advance how to block coronaviruses from infecting cells.
The short-term reactions most people experience when receiving the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, like muscle soreness and fatigue, are from the body revving up its immune system to attack the protein it was just instructed to manufacture. This reaction is a good sign – it means that your immune system is working. Keep in mind that none of the vaccines in use today can cause the disease they were designed to prevent.
Adverse effects of vaccines
That said, viral vaccines are not risk-free. Because humanity is so diverse, there will always be a tiny fraction of the population that reacts poorly to one or more of the vaccine’s ingredients. But these same risks also apply to common, frequently used medications, such as aspirin or insulin, that can’t be used safely by everyone. People continue to use these medications because the benefits far outweigh the risks. S. Jay Olshansky, University of Illinois at Chicago
MDT/The Conversation
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