Epidemiologists say they expected the immunization against COVID-19 among health workers, who daily see the situation in hospitals, will take place at a faster pace. Regrettably, at the first stage the process was rather slow. Even the medical personnel avoid vaccination owing to a series of factors, including fear for the vaccine, which was developed in a relatively short period of time. The process was impeded by the information about side effects. The type of vaccine is another factor. Many people want another type of vaccine than those available in the country as they believe one vaccine is better than another, but this opinion is incorrect, said Angela Paraschiv, head of the Epidemiology Department of “Nicolae Testemițanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, IPN reports.
“All the vaccines are good and it is not right to make a difference between them. All the clinical studies showed that no person needed hospitalization and no person of those who were vaccinated died,” Angela Paraschiv stated in an online program organized by Mama.md and UNICEF Moldova. According to her, compared with the initial period, the immunization process became more dynamic and the acceptance rate in the medical system and among the general population has grown.
Angela Paraschiv explained there are adverse events after vaccination that can coincide with the vaccination moment, but this does not mean that a particular state is determined by the vaccine, including in the case of persons who develop the infection after vaccination. This only shows that the vaccine was administered during the incubation period. There are cases when death occurs after vaccination, but this is due to disease and is a moment that coincides with vaccination.
As to the effect of vaccines against COVID-19, the epidemiologist said the person is considered protected only after the second dose is administered. In a week of the administration of the second doze, the vaccinated person has the antibodies needed to be protection from infection. If the person got infected the next day after vaccination, the vaccine will not help.
In the case of Pfizer, the person is safe in four weeks, while in the case of AstraZeneca – in nine weeks.
Angela Paraschiv noted that everyone can be vaccinated against COVID-19 with some exceptions. The vaccine is contraindicated to persons who experienced anaphylactic shock to one of the vaccine components and to pregnant women, not yet to women after they give birth, even if they breastfeed. Pfizer is administered from the age of 16, while Astra Zeneca – from 18.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, Moldova so far has got 226,521 infections with the novel coronavirus, while the death toll stands at 4,827. Among those who died due to COVID-19 are 104 health workers. More than 33,800 persons have been vaccinated so far and 692 of them had minor side effects, while 20 had moderate side effects. An immunized person died, but the causal relationship with the vaccine wasn’t established.
