egypt Welcome to Ain Shams University

Prof. Dr. Nagwa Khamis, Infection Control Consultant at Faculty of Medicine

16346 2021-01-04

After the increase in the number of infections and deaths globally with Covid-19, and after the increase in injuries and deaths, the vaccine has become the only hope to break this pandemic ... However, several questions may come to our minds about the effectiveness of the vaccine, the duration of its protection, whether it has complications, and is the Chinese vaccine better than the American and Russian, or they are all. They do not differ from each other despite the difference in the technology in which each of them is manufactured.

Apprehension, anticipation, and many questions we raised to Prof. Dr. Nagwa Khamis, Professor of Medical Analysis and Consultant of Infection Control, Faculty of Medicine at Ain Shams University.

Did the new strain of Covid-19 appear in Egypt, or are we still coexisting with the first strain?

Until this moment I am talking with you, there is no recognized scientific study confirming the emergence of the second or new strain of Covid-19 in Egypt, especially since we basically do not have the mechanism that determines confirmed numbers of the number of real infections, but if this strain was present with us, we were We have detected a much greater number of injuries than they are now, and what appeared in England is a type that spreads with incredible speed, but most injuries have mild and moderate symptoms that are easy to treat and the recovery rates from them are very good.

Could proliferation power bring us to herd immunity?

In fact, the relationship of immunity to infection or infection is marked with an exclamation point. Because studies conducted in this matter, whether in Egypt or abroad, have confirmed that the production of antibodies to the virus after infection does not appear in all people, there are people who have been infected with Covid-19, and have not formed any type of antibody to it, and therefore we cannot be sure that the force of spread may lead to herd immunity.

Did the vaccine not regulate the production of antibodies to break the severity of infection and spread?

On the contrary, only a vaccine can do that, because during studies and trials, the number of antibodies produced in the body against the infection was controlled.

Does this mean that infection with the virus may not make us immune to it, even for a short period?

The matter varies from person to another, as there are people who were infected with the virus and did not show antibodies after recovery, and others were infected and produced a very limited number of antibodies, which exposes them to infection again in the same season.

The vaccine remains the only hope for breaking the pandemic ... What do you think of what is said to be still not safe?

It is completely unscientific talk and whoever says it is based on the fact that the duration of the experiments conducted on it was not sufficient compared to the old vaccines, and the truth is that we have had astonishing technological progress that shortened the way to allow us to conduct experiments on the vaccine in six months, and if we did not benefit from this scientific and technological progress to save Mankind is from a global pandemic like Corona, so there is no need for it, and science becomes meaningless, because the main goal of it is to preserve human lives in a way that guarantees them a safe life, and I am convinced that due to scientific progress we have been able to shorten the time and prepare the vaccine as quickly as possible, and any words without That is superficial talk that is not based on it.

There is a concern that it has not been tried on a large number of people ... What do you think of that?

Let us emphasize that we are in exceptional circumstances and the emergence of the vaccine now is the only hope to break the severity of the pandemic, and then over the years there have always been medicines that have appeared and people have been using them for very long periods, and then they have been withdrawn from the market to discover a slight harm from them, and this matter is very likely to happen in a vaccine Corona, or any other vaccine, and therefore we have no solution now except to vaccinate the largest number of people in the whole world and on the day we reach to break the global transmission cycle, the pandemic will begin to recede.

What do you think of the Chinese vaccine, which began with vaccination in Egypt?

The Chinese vaccination has obtained the necessary approvals to start work, and this in itself calls for reassurance.

Which is better, Chinese or American vaccination?

There is no best, and what is available is what we will take, and the two reach the same result and gain the same immunity, despite the difference in manufacturing technology.

Is there no concern about Pfizer vaccine manufacturing technology, especially as it is new?

Science here is the owner of the first and last word, and science is also the one who produced the Pfizer vaccine based on a new technology, but it is very effective as it is based on changing the part of the genetic material of the virus, and this vaccine mimics the process of infection or infection in a way that stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies.

The duration of prevention is said; Either the Chinese or the American vaccine does not exceed six months ... Does this mean that we are supposed to take it twice a year?

So far this matter has not been resolved, and I think that the covid-19 vaccine will become like a seasonal flu vaccine that is taken once a year, because Corona is a virus in the pandemic, it has lasted with us for a whole year, but it is a virus that has a season like influenza, and therefore it is natural that after Breaking this pandemic will become a seasonal infection.

If the vaccination is really safe ... then what is the cause of all this anxiety and fear?

Because people in the whole world did not catch their breath for fear of infection, especially after the high numbers of injuries and deaths, and then anxiety about the vaccine becomes normal; Because they are afraid of the vaccine that was prepared from the virus that was the cause of death, and then people must be psychologically prepared, especially in Egypt, to accept the idea of vaccination, and that it is the only solution and hope to reduce and break the infection.

What about side effects?

Any injection in the world may have side effects and these symptoms are mentioned in vaccination or even any regular medicine. But in any case, whether from the Chinese or American vaccination, they will not be serious symptoms, and often there will be no symptoms at all, and I imagine that the main problem here is in the case of intimidation that engulfs social media and social media from the vaccine, and it is surprising that most of those talking about side effects They have nothing to do with science; Therefore, those who are authorized to talk about this matter are only the specialist doctors.

Does infection with the virus gain more immunity than vaccination?

It can lead to death, and the immune system may not produce antibodies in the first place, but in the case of vaccination with any of the available types of vaccines, there is no possibility of not producing antibodies. Since the injection is done in pre-determined proportions of the virus, which stimulates the immune system to produce a specific number of antibodies that are also sufficient to protect against infection and infection, the story here is exactly like something that goes by chance, and another goes according to a specific plan.

After the availability of the vaccine, is there any hope that this pandemic will disappear in 2021?

Certainly, the availability of the vaccine will work to break this pandemic and return things to normal. Especially since Corona has been around for a long time, and SARS Covid-2, which emerged as Covid-19, is nothing more than a new type of the coronavirus series, meaning it is an existing family that increases with the fall and winter seasons.

Is it possible to have two different types of vaccination per season?

There is no problem, which means if a person took the Chinese vaccination and the following year he took the American, the two would lead to the same result, which is stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies.

Until vaccination is available ... What is the way to protect against infection?

Wearing masks, spacing and distance from gatherings and closed places as possible, non-stress and healthy food.