With news about the COVID-19 vaccines doing the rounds on social media over the last week, we’ve listened to what you’ve had to say and answered some of your questions.
Starting with the big one – are the vaccines safe? Yes, they are safe. The global impact of COVID-19 has meant the funding, expertise and equipment needed to find a vaccine was quickly made available. The vaccines didn’t meet barriers other drugs and vaccines often face before they can be approved, because of the scale of the pandemic.
Before any vaccine can go to market it undergoes lots of testing to make sure it is safe. Many of the COVID- 19 vaccines are based on ones already being developed to treat other diseases.
Vaccines also have to be tested on large groups of people, usually between 300 and 3000, before they can be approved. Testing for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine involved over 43,000 people! Clinical trials took place quickly because of the scale of the pandemic.
And, having a number of different COVID-19 vaccines means we can protect a wider number of people. We know that weaknesses in one trial could be covered by strengths in another.
Allergic reactions to vaccines are extremely rare – about 1 in 760,000, meaning you have more chance of being struck by lightning! There have been no serious safety concerns raised about the vaccines as part of their approval process, so there’s no need to worry about their safety.
Last week the Government accepted the MHRA’s recommendation for authorisation of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Find out more here
https://t.co/at7IuuAU96
https://t.co/at7IuuAU96Also of interest: British Woman first in the world to receive Covid19 vaccine