0
On COVID-19 Vaccines & Why You
Should Get Vaccinated
Dr. Esther Tan, MD MPH
Senior Medical Officer
DHMOSH Public Health
October 2021
1
Introduction
2
Presentation Outline
• How Vaccines Work
• Addressing Common COVID-19
Vaccination Concerns
• Resources
• Questions
3
How Vaccines Work
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Addressing Common
COVID-19 Vaccination
Concerns
11
Concerns About COVID-19
Vaccination
12
How Do We Know that COVID-19
Vaccines are Safe?
• There are strict protections in place to help ensure the safety of all
COVID-19 vaccines
• Before receiving validation from WHO and national regulatory agencies,
COVID-19 vaccines must undergo rigorous testing in clinical trials to
prove that they meet internationally agreed benchmarks for safety and
efficacy
13
14
15
How Do We Know that COVID-19
Vaccines are Safe?
• As with all vaccines, WHO and
regulatory authorities will
continuously monitor the use of
COVID-19 vaccines to identify and
respond to any safety issues that
might arise
16
If mRNA Vaccines are Based on New
Technology, How Do We Know They’re Safe?
1. COVID-19 mRNA vaccine technology has been
rigorously assessed for safety
2. Clinical trials have shown that mRNA vaccines
produce an immune response that has high
efficacy against disease (it works!)
3. mRNA vaccine technology has been studied
for several decades, including in the contexts
of Zika, rabies, and influenza vaccines
4. mRNA vaccines are not live virus vaccines and
do not interfere with human DNA
17
What are the Side Effects of
COVID-19 Vaccines?
18
What are the Side Effects of
COVID-19 Vaccines?
19
What about the Long-Term Effects?
• Serious long-term side are extremely
unlikely following any vaccination,
including COVID-19 vaccination
• Vaccine monitoring has historically
shown that side effects generally
happen within six weeks of receiving a
vaccine dose
• Millions of people have received
COVID-19 vaccines, and no long-
term side effects have been detected
20
Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for
Women Who are Pregnant or Breastfeeding?
• WHO recommends that for pregnant
women the use of the COVID-19
vaccine be considered on the basis of
a benefit vs risk assessment
• WHO does not recommend:
– Pregnancy testing prior to vaccination
– Delaying pregnancy or terminating
pregnancy because of vaccination
– Discontinuation of breastfeeding after
vaccination
21
Do the COVID-19 Astra Zeneca and
J&J Vaccines Cause Blood Clots?
• There have been reports of very rare but
serious cases of blood clots accompanied by
low platelet counts occurring 3 to 30 days after
vaccination
• The data has shown that blood clots are rare:
– AstraZeneca vaccine (15 July 2021): 4-6 people out
of every million vaccinated
– Janssen vaccine (7 May 2021): 28 reports of TTS out
more than eight million people vaccinated
• It is possible that that there a causal link
between the vaccine and these symptoms, but
more data is needed
22
Is There a Risk of Heart
Inflammation from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines?
• There have been reports of very rare
cases of myocarditis and pericarditis
following the
second dose of mRNA
COVID-19 vaccines
• Myocarditis and pericarditis can be
caused by many factors, including:
– Infections
– Viruses
– Medicines
– Environmental factors
23
Is There a Risk of Heart
Inflammation from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines?
• Current data suggests that there is
also a potential relationship between
these symptoms and mRNA vaccines
• Research is underway to understand
more
• Benefits of these vaccines greatly
outweigh the risk of myocarditis and
pericarditis by preventing deaths and
hospitalizations due to COVID-19
24
Are Vaccines Effective Against the
Delta Variant?
• COVID-19 vaccines are effective
against severe disease and death from
variants of the virus that causes
COVID-19, including the Delta
variant
• Infections happen in only a small
proportion of people who are fully
vaccinated, even with the Delta variant
• When these infections occur among
vaccinated people, they tend to be
mild
25
What are the Benefits of COVID-19
Vaccination?
1. COVID-19 vaccines are safe
2. Prevent you from getting and
spreading the virus that causes
COVID-19
3. Vaccines continue to be highly
effective at preventing hospitalization
and death
4. Can help keep you from getting
seriously ill even if you do get
COVID-19
26
What are the Benefits of COVID-19
Vaccination?
5. If you get COVID-19, you also risk
giving it to loved ones who may get
very sick; getting a COVID-19 vaccine
is a safer choice
6. Vaccines continue to reduce a
person’s risk of contracting the virus
that cause COVID-19, including the
Delta variant
27
What are the Benefits of COVID-19
Vaccination?
8. Evidence is emerging that people get
better protection by being fully
vaccinated compared with having had
COVID-19
9. None of the COVID-19 vaccines
contain the live virus that causes
COVID-19 so a COVID-19 vaccine
cannot make you sick with COVID-
19
28
29
30
Everyone Has a Choice
31
Learn More About Basics of COVID-19 Here
https://youtu.be/hcs2Esr0CFQ
32
Acknowledgments
• With thanks to Jamie Jablonowski for her support in developing these
slides.
33
Any questions, please contact
dos-dhmosh-public-[email protected]
Covidvaccin[email protected]g
DHMOSH Public Health Videos available at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOLCJEwl8aAf8cGEn4_qLGQ
