COVID-19 Vaccine safety & misconceptions

Published on 17 May 2021

Dr Leong Chuei Wuei
Principal Consultant, DreamCatcher

With the COVID-19 vaccines having emerged faster than any other vaccines and the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines in Malaysia currently underway, there may be many questions on your mind: Is the vaccine safe? Should I or my loved ones take the vaccine? What happens after vaccination? 

In this article, we hope to break that down one by one.

Is the vaccine safe?

While some may be wary as to how the vaccine can possibly be safe given that it was developed in less than a year, we understand that it is made possible because of a few factors which expedited the progress. It is not at the expense of safety. We can think of at least 3 factors here.

Factor #1: New Gen Vaccine Technology Platforms

The research for the vaccine had a lot of funding which allowed it to be more efficient leading to new gen vaccine technology platforms that can be executed faster. Prior research done on similar viruses, such as SARS and MERS, also aided the speedy development of the vaccine. 

Factor #2: Faster Clinical Trial Rollout Due To High Incidence Rate

The longest period in most drug developments are clinical trials. Clinical trials need to acquire volunteers / patients and that usually takes time. In the Covid-19 vaccine development, people were eager to participate in the clinical trials. COVID-19 was also so widespread, the researchers were able to test the effectiveness of the vaccine quickly.

Factor #3: Regulatory Approval With Special Regulatory Pathway

Most registration approval works on a first come, first serve basis. With most regulatory agencies facing back logs, registration usually takes 6 months or more. In the case of Covid 19 vaccine, the regulatory queuing and assessment went through a fast track pathway, leading to earlier market access of the product. This pathway also mandates that all side effects be collected post registration, accelerating the understanding of side effects in a more comprehensive post market surveillance programme. Much better than only understanding side effects during clinical trials. 

While there has been advice in recent weeks now recommending certain age groups to avoid the AstraZeneca vaccine in various countries - leading to Malaysia also making the AstraZeneca vaccine an opt-in program,  COVID-19 vaccines are statistically incredibly safe for the general public.

So should I take the vaccine?

Unless you have:

1. A weakened immune system due to medical conditions or treatments

2. Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), or

3. Bleeding disorders (including the need for blood-thinning medication and scheduled follow-up appointments) 

You are able to sign up for the vaccine without any pre-vaccination assessments. [Official Post by JKJAV regarding pre-vaccination assessments]

However, if one or more of the listed items does apply to you, you will need to consult your regular doctor or a nearby health clinic (Klinik Kesihatan) to determine if you are eligible for the vaccination. If you are eligible, they will advise a suitable date to be vaccinated, type of vaccine and vaccination location if necessary and then provide a letter for you to bring along to your vaccination.

Vaccine has been proven to reduce the burden of disease. See the active COVID-19 cases in Israel (60% vaccinated) and UK (heading towards 50% vaccinated) as evidence.

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