Addressing vaccine dilemma

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 20 Aug 2020 7:05PM · 9 Comments

PRODUCING a new vaccine is not to prove one’s mettle or for a country to attain “celebrity” status. Trials to study people’s responses to vaccines and any possible adverse effects are key.

To come up with a vaccine against an infectious disease requires sufficient knowledge of the causative agent and its impact on the body. Research updates such knowledge.

In terms of technology, we’ve come a long way since the inoculation methods of centuries past. Numerous vaccine types have emerged, each with its pros and cons.

Vaccine trials

A new vaccine goes through rigorous testing in both animal and human trials. These trials must be thorough, thus they take time.

Clinical trials must show immune responses that are both desired and safe. Small groups of volunteers are tested first, and then, larger groups with conditions similar to those susceptible to the illness in question. Finally, hundreds of thousands of volunteers are tested for vaccine effectiveness and safety. Some receive placebos or alternative interventions for the purpose of result comparison.

Even after a vaccine is approved for use and administered in the community, its effects are continuously monitored.

Adverse event following immunisation

Vaccination is generally safe, but it isn’t flawless. An adverse event following immunisation (AEFI), according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is an untoward medical occurrence following immunisation that may or may not be caused by the vaccine.

A person’s responses to a vaccine aren’t always predictable, and there could be reactions to, say, a quality defect. These are mostly minor reactions, but there remains the possibility of a severe one. Health workers are educated on how to handle such cases.

AEFI may be related to immunisation errors, which are minimised through proper training on vaccine storage, reconstitution and handling.

The fear of needles could cause some children to vomit, while there are adults who feel light-headed or have fainted when being vaccinated.

And, there are many events falsely attributed to a vaccine simply due to them occurring shortly after the said vaccine is administered.

Vaccine responses

WHO recognises that vaccine acceptance is influenced by dynamic progression and evolving factors (Chen RT & co-workers, 1994).

People embrace vaccination when there’s a vaccine that has proven effective against a disease. Successful vaccination keeps a disease under control, but a tendency to focus on AEFI then arises, with safety issues brought up.

This, in turn, causes vaccination rates to decline. When the focus shifts from the importance of disease prevention to vaccine safety issues, coupled with exaggeration by some quarters, it results in a loss of vaccine confidence. When vaccination rates decline, leading to the absence of herd immunity, we may see a resurgence of diseases.

When this happens, there will be a fresh wave of vaccine confidence. If, at this stage, a new vaccine is available for a disease, the outbreak is controlled once more. And should the vaccine be able to eradicate the disease, then vaccination for the said disease can be halted.

A prudent vaccination programme monitors and quickly addresses adverse events. It should also correct misperceptions by comparing the risks of vaccination to the much greater dangers of diseases.

Payoff

When it comes to the vaccine dilemma, it’s clear that enhancing vaccine acceptance and coverage can be done in a number of ways.

A safe, well-researched vaccine is a handsome reward for our patience. – August 20, 2020.

* Dr Prameela Kannan Kutty is a professor of paediatrics at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.

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Comments

  • A very good read on importance of having patience in the process of developing a vaccine. The writer has also done a good job in explaining the adverse effects of vaccination which has been a worry to a lot of people.

    Posted 5 years ago by Janaarthanan Jivananthan · Reply

  • Very nice info Prof.

    Posted 5 years ago by Muhammad Asyraf · Reply

  • As the world is fighting the COVID pandemic together, it is essential and utmost priority for developed countries to create a vaccine against COVID to reduce the spread

    Posted 5 years ago by Kaveegeshan Kauthaman · Reply

    • And also to reduce the mortality and morbidity of this disease. This article is an eye opener for the society to let them know that creating a vaccine against a new infectious agent is not an easy task. I would like to thank the author for the time and effort for writing this informative article that developing a vaccine is not walk in park task and people should understand that not taking vaccine brings more harm than benefit and they should take the initiative to educate themselves about vaccination by reading very informative articles like this.

      Posted 5 years ago by Kaveegeshan Kauthaman · Reply

  • Writer's proactive attempt to raise awareness against the vaccination is welcomed with a loud applause. Every piece of information given by the writer is made in such a way that easily could be understandable. Vaccination is a best investment against these diseases. In fact, it's benefits outweigh the untoward effects. In my opinion, vaccination should be mandated in our country because it matters the risk of resurgence of a particular disease like polio which was reported again after nearly three three decade of Polio-free-Malaysia. Since getting a good health is falling under basic necessities of a child, so getting vaccinated shouldn't be an option but a must. Failing to get vaccinated put our future kids' health into a great jeopardy and in such context this irresponsible act affects overall health of these kids and eventually their quality of life. Introducing awareness regarding the importance of getting vaccinated in schools would be fruitful rather than convincing adult community who perceive a negative impression over vaccination. And of course creating a vaccine against the Covid 19 which is threatening the world for almost a year would change perception of community over getting vaccinated.

    Posted 5 years ago by Aravindar Ravi shankar · Reply

  • Always interesting to read articles from this author. Up to date informations with grear content!

    Posted 5 years ago by Eugene Hew · Reply

  • Great article

    Posted 5 years ago by Lavanya Sivaji · Reply

  • A very good article indeed. Keep on writing , dear author.

    Posted 5 years ago by SETEVENRAJ PARANJOTHY · Reply

  • Great article !!! Thx author

    Posted 5 years ago by Samuel Ting · Reply