COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A with Dr. Juan Caicedo
Dr. Juan Caicedo
Dr. Juan Caicedo M.D is a transplant surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He serves as the Director of the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program which offers care for Hispanic (both English and Spanish-speaking) transplant recipients and families.
How do mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna work?
Spike proteins are found on the surface of the COVID-19 virus. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines teach our immune system how to fight these spike proteins by giving instructions to our cells to make harmless spike proteins. The immune system recognizes these proteins as intruders and creates antibodies that fight them. Once vaccinated, your immune system is prepared to fight the COVID-19 virus and attack the invading spike proteins.
How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine work?
Johnson & Johnson also uses mRNA but it delivers it via an adenovirus shell. An adenovirus is a common, harmless cold virus and does not contain COVID-19 virus in any way. Once the mRNA instructions are delivered by the adenovirus shell, this harmless virus dissolves. Just like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the instructions train the body to make spike proteins, and the immune system activates to develop antibodies. By getting vaccinated, you will be preparing your body to attack the spike proteins and fight off the COVID-19 virus should you ever be exposed.
How did the vaccines get to market so quickly?
The US government quickly moved to put billions of dollars towards accelerating the process to safely deliver the vaccines to the public.
The mRNA technology used in the vaccines has been in development for the past decade.
Researchers used existing networks to recruit for the clinical trials.
The vaccines were produced by manufacturers at the same time as the clinical trials were running.
Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe?
Some of the largest clinical trials in history were conducted for the COVID-19 vaccines and all met the FDA’s high standards for safety and efficacy under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
Are they effective?
The COVID-19 vaccines are proven to be very effective. The Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective in preventing symptomatic disease. Moderna is 94.1% effective and Johnson & Johnson has 72% overall effectiveness and 86% efficacy against severe disease in the U.S. For comparison, the flu vaccine is only about 40% to 60% effective.
What are the side effects of the vaccines?
You may experience side effects such as pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, soreness of the arm, chills, headache, fatigue and tiredness, and swelling of lymph nodes. The potential risks and side effects of the COVID-19 virus greatly outweigh the potential and minimal side effects associated with the COVID-19 vaccines.
Did members of the Hispanic community participate in clinical trials?
28% of participants enrolled in Pfizer’s trial were Hispanic and 20% of participants enrolled in Moderna’s trial identified as Hispanic. There is no difference in how the vaccines work based on race or ethnicity.
