Covid-19 Vaccines: Do we really need to be vaccinated? (Part 3 — Final)
“I shall endeavour still further to prosecute this inquiry, an inquiry I trust not merely speculative, but of sufficient moment to inspire the pleasing hope of its becoming essentially beneficial to mankind.”- Edward Jenner
As I am writing this piece today, New York Post Vaccines Tracker has reported that there are 7 vaccines that are currently on Phase 3 trial. Some of them have been approved for emergency use in countries such as China, Russia, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Billions of dollars have been poured into funding the research for vaccines that hopefully end the Covid-19 pandemic. WHO reported that as of November 29, global cases have accumulated to 61.8 million cases and over 1.6 million deaths. Indonesia’s KPCPEN reported that as of December 6th, the national accumulated cases have reached 569,707 cases along with 17,589 deaths. So, again, do we really need to be vaccinated?
The earliest practice of vaccination originated around the time when smallpox was infecting Europe in 1700s. During this time, the physicians had developed a method called variolation. Variolation was a medical procedure of inoculating powdered scabs from a person who had been infected with smallpox to a healthy person to stimulate immunity. Edward Jenner, an English physician, observed that those who had been exposed to cowpox had somehow were immune to smallpox as well. He then tested his finding by taking pus from cowpox blisters extracted from a milkmaid and then injecting it into a healthy person. The first participant in his first vaccine trial was a boy of 8 year-old, named James Phipps. Young Phipps developed to have fever and became unwell on the following day after being injected but did not appear to show full blown infection. Jenner then exposed young Phipps with organic material containing smallpox to test Phipps’ immunity and he found out that there was no sign of infection. Despite this groundbreaking discovery, it was not until few years later that his method of vaccination was accepted by the scientific community. For his work in developing vaccine for smallpox, Edward Jenner is recognised now as the father of immunology.
Edward Jenner’s method of developing smallpox vaccine provided a basic model for future vaccine development. Even though the vaccine was invented in 1700s, it was not until 1971 that smallpox had been successfully eradicated worldwide. The perfected method of vaccine development has resulted in many vaccines for diseases such as polio, mumps, measles, rubella, ebola, and even malaria. As I have discussed previously in my first post, there are 3 phases that a vaccine must go through in order to be accepted for human use. New York Times Vaccine Tracker has reported that there are 7 vaccines that are currently in Phase 3 and have been approved for emergency use. They are Sinovac (China), Sinopharm (China), Cansino (China), Pfizer (USA), Moderna (USA), Gamaleya Research Institute (Russia), and Bektop (Russia). Most of these companies have started the development since January 2020. The vaccines have been reported to be effective in stimulating antibodies for SARS-CoV-2.
According to the decree of Indonesia Minister of Health (Keputusan Menteri Kesehatan No. 9860 Tahun 2020 Tentang Penetapan Jenis Vaksin Untuk Pelaksanaan Vaksinasi Corona Virus 2019), Indonesia is expecting vaccines from China and US to be used in an effort to eliminate further spread of SARS-CoV-2. It has been published by the government official that 6 companies have agreed to provide the vaccines. The companies are PT. Bio Farma (Indonesia), AstraZeneca (UK-Sweden), Sinopharm (China), Moderna (US), Pfizer (US), and Sinovac (China). PT. Bio Farma is a state-owned enterprise that has been working with China’s Sinovac to develop Covid-19 vaccine using the strain found in Indonesia. Below is a brief summary of the different vaccines:
President Jokowi announced on his official Twitter page that 1.2 million vaccines from Sinovac (China) have arrived in Jakarta on December 6th. Despite lack of published reports from Phase 3, our government decided to order the promising vaccines. So far, only reports from Phase 1 and Phase 2 have been made public by Sinovac. Since August 2020, PT. Bio Farma has started clinical trial in a joint research with Sinovac to develop Covid-19 vaccine using viral strain from Indonesia. The director of PT. Bio Farma has stated in recent interview that Sinovac’s vaccine has been chosen by Indonesian government because Sinovac’s trials have shown promising results regarding the vaccine’s safety and efficacy. He also hoped the Sinovac’s vaccine would be able to be produced in Indonesia. PT. Bio Farma dan Sinovac are currently in the process of completing Phase 3 which is expected to be completed in May 2021.There has not been official reports regarding the vaccine development.
Distribution of 1.2 million doses of vaccines of Sinovac is currently on hold while waiting for halal fatwa from Indonesian Ulema Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia). I have stated previously that as a medical professional, I am ALL IN about vaccination. However, the fact that there has not been official report from Sinovac regarding the efficacy and safety of its vaccine has made me uneasy. Pfizer and Moderna have published on their websites about the efficacy and safety of their vaccines. The publications then resulted in swift approval of emergency use in some countries like United Kingdom. Sinovac should have been able to release similar information to give assurance to the many countries that have been waiting impatiently for its Covid-19 vaccine. I personally think that we should have waited until Sinovac manages to provide clear reports on efficacy and safety before jumping the broom and ordering 1.2 millions of vaccines to be distributed. If it was up to myself for making the decision, I would have chosen either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over Sinovac’s vaccine. In conclusion, seeing the severity of this pandemic, it is in the upmost importance to be vaccinated only after ensuring that the entrusted vaccine has been proven to be effective, safe, and have low risk of adverse reactions.
