The President and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council, Professor Glenda Gray, has assured South Africans that the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is effective against the Delta variant, which is currently dominant in the country.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cData from the Sisonke Study conducted among healthcare workers is showing that the J&J vaccine is effective, and reduces your risk of severe disease, hospitalisation, and death,\u201d Gray said at a briefing on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gray said the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has noted concerns from the public about the efficacy of the J&J vaccine against the Delta variant. These concerns largely stem from research conducted by New York University researchers, which showed that the single-dose J&J vaccine was far less effective at preventing Coronavirus infections from the Delta and Lambda variants.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gray pointed out that the results from this research are from experiments conducted with blood samples in a laboratory in the United States.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hearing reports that people want a boost, and that the J&J vaccine doesn\u2019t work against the Delta variant.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, we want to tell you – from South Africa, from our experience – that we have evidence locally that the vaccine works against the Delta variant,\u201d Gray said, adding that both the J&J and Pfizer vaccines work against the Delta variant.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gray additionally cited a Harvard University study, which showed that the immune responses are long-lasting, even up to eight months, demonstrating that \u201ca boost is not needed at this stage\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gray insists that the single-dose vaccine is active against the Beta and the Delta variants of concern, while full vaccination with Pfizer increases protection as well.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a terrible pandemic, terrible excess deaths and we\u2019ve lost our loved ones, friends and colleagues. We need to ensure we\u2026 use our vaccine strategy to control the pandemic in South Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
According to the Professor, since the outbreak, the country has recorded over 200 000 excess deaths related to the pandemic.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
She believes that the only way to control the spread of the virus is through global immunisation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody does need to be vaccinated, not just 20% or 30%, but everybody,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gray said 26.8% of the world\u2019s population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, accounting for about 3.17 billion doses.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe risk-benefit favours vaccination over not being vaccinated.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Rare side-effects<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gray said there have been rare but serious side-effects that have been reported with the use of the vaccines.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
These include myocarditis (or heart inflammation) that is linked to mRNA vaccine or Pfizer, while the J&J vaccine has been associated with thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, which caused the Sisonke Study to be halted for two weeks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Most recently, Gray said Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome (GBS) has been associated with these vaccines.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI also want to tell you that if you look at the rate per vaccination per side effect, you can see that the benefit of getting the vaccine is better.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
GBS is defined as the condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gray said the condition has also been linked to other vaccines, including influenza and childhood shots. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
She said GBS might cause muscle weakness, which could lead to difficulties in physical exertion, including things such as climbing stairs.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it does happen, it\u2019s important to seek medical care because you can manage it. The risk is higher in men and those over 50-years-old,\u201d she explained. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
However, she reiterated that both the J&J and Pfizer do save lives.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mild side-effects<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In addition, other well-known complications may include pain or swelling in the arm, fever, fatigue, headache or simply feeling ill, which usually resolves after a few days.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you feel that you\u2019re having side effects and that you\u2019re feeling unwell after the vaccination, it\u2019s important to contact your healthcare provider,\u201d she advised. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Long-term effects<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In addition, she said serious side-effects that could cause long-term health problems are extremely unlikely following any vaccination, including COVID-19.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cVaccine monitoring has historically shown that side-effects generally happen within six weeks of receiving a vaccine dose and it\u2019s unlikely to happen after six weeks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cMillions of people have received COVID-19 vaccines, and no long-term side effects have been detected,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Globally, Gray said they will continue to closely monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIf scientists find a connection between a safety issue and a vaccine, the regulators and the vaccine manufacturers will work toward an appropriate solution to address the specific safety concern.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Source: South African Government News Agency<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The President and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council, Professor Glenda Gray, has assured South Africans that the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is effective against the Delta variant, which is currently dominant in the cou…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n