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COVID-19 Vaccine Update
William Scott, MD, MPH, FACOEM shares current information about the COVID-19 vaccines. He discusses the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, how they were tested and how they work.
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Learn more about William Scott, MD
William Scott, MD, MPH, FACOEM
William Scott, MD is the Head, Occupational & Environmental Medicine & Employee Health.Learn more about William Scott, MD
Transcription:
This podcast forum is brought to you to share expertise and insights within our integrated delivery system to help us improve the health of the people we serve and achieve world-class accessible care. This is Expert Insights.
Prakash Chandran: This Expert Insights COVID-19 podcast was recorded on December 21, 2020. After months of anticipation, development, clinical trials and regulatory reviews, the COVID-19 vaccines are finally here and being distributed all over the country. Today, we'll be discussing a COVID-19 vaccine update. And here with us to discuss is Dr. William Scott, Head of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Employee Health for the Carle Foundation Hospital, as well as a Clinical Associate Professor for Carle Illinois, College of Medicine, and for the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign.
This is Expert Insights with the Carle Foundation Hospital. I'm Prakash Chandran. So, first of all, Dr. Scott, it's great to have you here today. I think the question on everyone's mind is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?
Dr. William Scott: Yes, the vaccine is safe and Carle does recommend the vaccine/ we truly believe this is probably the only major way that we can get back to our normal way of living. You know, this vaccine is made out of a messenger RNA, which is quite new and the benefits are significant when you compare it to placebo. And when you follow these trials that went through, there was great results that showed 95% protection against development of symptoms and that is impressive for any vaccine in general.
Prakash Chandran: Yeah, it sounds like it. Can you talk to us a little bit about the process that vaccines need to go through in order to get approved?
Dr. William Scott: Well, scientists begin by determining what vaccine will work well. And if it is approved for human testing, then several phases occur in which the groups of volunteers receive the vaccine and are tracked over time. They look at the results of the test in usually large numbers of volunteers and then the scientists check for the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
Then the FDA and the CDC review the results of the studies and make their own recommendations based on safety, usefulness, and how it should be used. The studies for the COVID-19 were held to the same standards as any other vaccine. In the case of the COVID-19 vaccine, the scientists and vaccine makers basically re-engineered the way the vaccine was developed using newer technology, which aided the speed of the development of the vaccine.
In addition, the regulators were also able to enhance the approval process to make it more efficient as it was going through the normal approval steps.
Prakash Chandran: Got it. And so by the time the public hears about it, like, "Oh, this specific vaccine is for example, you know, 95% effective," has that already been approved by the FDA?
Dr. William Scott: Yes.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. Now, you know, because of the speed in which this vaccine has been produced, there's going to be people that are apprehensive or nervous to take this vaccine. What might you say to them?
Dr. William Scott: Well, I think as a physician in the field of preventive medicine, I'm really encouraged by the effectiveness and safety because it did follow well-established processes. The rapid pace was possibly because of important work and the outpouring of resources that were created to make this vaccine happen.
You know, the government allowed for the research process to move faster with basically using larger control groups. The lab testing process and the clinical trials were allowed to overlap rather than run back to back. And scientists and vaccine makers knew basically how to develop the vaccine due to having preexisting designs from other studies when they looked at SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2012, which are basically similar types of viruses.
And also as this is a global pandemic, there was a strong focus across the world on deploying extra resources for research, and this led to better outcomes in terms of getting it manufactured and passed through the clinical trials.
Prakash Chandran: Yeah, I want to focus on the research side of things just for a second. You mentioned that a lot of research went into this. what is your opinion on how confident you are that these vaccines will actually work?
Dr. William Scott: Now vaccines have saved millions of human lives throughout our history. Small pox, measles, mumps, and hepatitis, just to name a few. The standards used by the FDA for previous vaccines are the same as those used for the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine.
And with any vaccine, you may experience some side effects that could be a sign that the vaccine is working. The most common reported side effects include pain at the injection site, tiredness, headaches, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, and maybe a mild grade fever. Side effects typically start within two days of vaccination and resolve usually within one to two days later. Plan, I would say, for a day of rest after each dose if possible. And I would encourage everyone who can get the COVID-19 vaccine to go ahead and do it.
Prakash Chandran: So I want to move on to the mechanics of how the vaccine actually works. You mentioned messenger RNA or mRNA technology. Talk to us a little bit about how that works.
Dr. William Scott: Messenger RNA technology is new. It's not a known. We basically been studying this type of technique for about a decade. This is really not a live vaccine and some vaccines use small doses of actual viruses to get the body to develop an immunity. However, this type of vaccine does not use the COVID virus and the vaccine will not cause you to get COVID-19.
Rather than putting a weak or inactive germ in our bodies, messenger RNA really teaches our cells how to make a protein or a piece of a protein that is called the spike protein. The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. That triggers our immune response to build antibodies and our immune system recognizes that the protein really doesn't belong and begins building the immune response that makes antibodies that neutralizes the virus.
Both these vaccines require two-dose series to be fully vaccinated with a second shot administered typically at 21 or 28 days later, depending on the specific vaccine you receive. The vaccines are shown to be over 90% effective with the second dose.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. That is very reassuring to hear. So just to summarize, if I were to break it down as a lay person, I might say most vaccines that I've heard about put this like weakened or inactive germ or piece of that virus into your body. But an mRNA vaccine is really a way to teach the body how to make a protein that combats that COVID-19 or triggers that immune response, right? And that's the spike protein that you're talking about. You're saying that the MRN vaccine tells our body to produce this harmless piece of what is a spike protein to combat COVID-19 when it comes into contact with it. Is that a good summary of it?
Dr. William Scott: That's a very good summary, I would say.
Prakash Chandran: And after you get the vaccine, we've heard about its efficacy in protecting you, but are you still able to spread COVID-19 to other people?
Dr. William Scott: Well, the vaccine is thought to be protective of any infection starting at 10 days after the first dose. However, it is unknown if this means that the virus can't be spread. So even those who get the vaccines should continue physical distancing and wearing masks to protect others.
While the vaccine brings us hope that we're at the end of this pandemic, it still will take months to meet the worldwide demand. Now is really not the time to pull back on our already proven prevention methods. So I'm asking everybody to please continue to wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands and avoid crowds.
Prakash Chandran: Okay, that makes sense. So how can people get this vaccine?
Dr. William Scott: Healthcare workers are receiving their vaccine now, as we've been receiving shipments from public health. Vaccines are being phased in to reach those who most are at risk first. Here at Carle, employers will hear from their managers when their area is eligible.
Over time, the vaccine will be available to first responders, such as police, fire, and the elderly, and those who have chronic conditions. And as the vaccine is available to the community, more information will be available from each county public health department and on Carle.org.
Prakash Chandran: And are there people that either shouldn't be taking the vaccine altogether or should be taking special precautions when they get it?
Well, obviously it's important to talk to your own healthcare provider who can answer questions that might be pertinent to your own special health needs. If you have a history of having a severe allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in the vaccine, then you probably should not take the vaccine that's the only major contraindication for this vaccine. And you can ask your own treating provider for the list of those ingredients.
Those with perhaps a history of having a reaction to other vaccines or injectable medicines should have a risk assessment to determine whether the vaccine would be appropriate. And there are certain individuals who may want to delay taking the vaccine, such as those individuals that are currently having maybe COVID-19 infection. They need to really wait until they recover and out of quarantine. And those people who may have been treated for COVID-19 should wait at least 90 days after treatment to get the vaccine.
And just so the audience understands how someone gets the vaccine. Is it just the shot to the arm? Is there any process that people need to be aware of here?
Dr. William Scott: No. It's typically like any other vaccine. People roll up their sleeve and they get it right into their deltoid muscle and they wait approximately 15 minutes after the vaccine just to monitor. And then they go back to their normal way of life.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. And you said that there was that second-round dose. So they go back to their normal way of life and then they come back for a second dose, right?
Dr. William Scott: Correct. The second dose is given either at day 21 or day 28, depending on which type of vaccine you received and it's administered in the same way. And they say that the second dose can cause a little bit more intense side effects, but they're treated just the same as the first type of side effects that you get.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. Super helpful. So before we close here, Dr. Scott, is there anything else that you would like to share with our audience regarding this vaccine?
Dr. William Scott: I think we are blessed to have a gift like this so soon after the virus has emerged on the national scene. And truly, I think we should take advantage of this type of technology that has been so important in getting this vaccine out quickly and hopefully get us past this dreadful condition.
Prakash Chandran: I couldn't agree more with you. And just so people can be proactive, you're saying the best thing to do is to check for updates on Carle.org. Is that correct?
Dr. William Scott: That's correct. It's a good place to go for any updates that you need or talk to your manager as well.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. Well, I think that's the perfect place to end. Dr. Scott, thank you so much for your time today. It's been truly informative.
That's Dr. William Scott, Head of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Employee Health for the Carle Foundation Hospital. For more information, visit Carle.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you.
This has been Expert Insights with the Carle Foundation Hospital. Thanks so much. And we'll talk next time.
This podcast forum is brought to you to share expertise and insights within our integrated delivery system to help us improve the health of the people we serve and achieve world-class accessible care. This is Expert Insights.
Prakash Chandran: This Expert Insights COVID-19 podcast was recorded on December 21, 2020. After months of anticipation, development, clinical trials and regulatory reviews, the COVID-19 vaccines are finally here and being distributed all over the country. Today, we'll be discussing a COVID-19 vaccine update. And here with us to discuss is Dr. William Scott, Head of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Employee Health for the Carle Foundation Hospital, as well as a Clinical Associate Professor for Carle Illinois, College of Medicine, and for the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign.
This is Expert Insights with the Carle Foundation Hospital. I'm Prakash Chandran. So, first of all, Dr. Scott, it's great to have you here today. I think the question on everyone's mind is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?
Dr. William Scott: Yes, the vaccine is safe and Carle does recommend the vaccine/ we truly believe this is probably the only major way that we can get back to our normal way of living. You know, this vaccine is made out of a messenger RNA, which is quite new and the benefits are significant when you compare it to placebo. And when you follow these trials that went through, there was great results that showed 95% protection against development of symptoms and that is impressive for any vaccine in general.
Prakash Chandran: Yeah, it sounds like it. Can you talk to us a little bit about the process that vaccines need to go through in order to get approved?
Dr. William Scott: Well, scientists begin by determining what vaccine will work well. And if it is approved for human testing, then several phases occur in which the groups of volunteers receive the vaccine and are tracked over time. They look at the results of the test in usually large numbers of volunteers and then the scientists check for the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
Then the FDA and the CDC review the results of the studies and make their own recommendations based on safety, usefulness, and how it should be used. The studies for the COVID-19 were held to the same standards as any other vaccine. In the case of the COVID-19 vaccine, the scientists and vaccine makers basically re-engineered the way the vaccine was developed using newer technology, which aided the speed of the development of the vaccine.
In addition, the regulators were also able to enhance the approval process to make it more efficient as it was going through the normal approval steps.
Prakash Chandran: Got it. And so by the time the public hears about it, like, "Oh, this specific vaccine is for example, you know, 95% effective," has that already been approved by the FDA?
Dr. William Scott: Yes.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. Now, you know, because of the speed in which this vaccine has been produced, there's going to be people that are apprehensive or nervous to take this vaccine. What might you say to them?
Dr. William Scott: Well, I think as a physician in the field of preventive medicine, I'm really encouraged by the effectiveness and safety because it did follow well-established processes. The rapid pace was possibly because of important work and the outpouring of resources that were created to make this vaccine happen.
You know, the government allowed for the research process to move faster with basically using larger control groups. The lab testing process and the clinical trials were allowed to overlap rather than run back to back. And scientists and vaccine makers knew basically how to develop the vaccine due to having preexisting designs from other studies when they looked at SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2012, which are basically similar types of viruses.
And also as this is a global pandemic, there was a strong focus across the world on deploying extra resources for research, and this led to better outcomes in terms of getting it manufactured and passed through the clinical trials.
Prakash Chandran: Yeah, I want to focus on the research side of things just for a second. You mentioned that a lot of research went into this. what is your opinion on how confident you are that these vaccines will actually work?
Dr. William Scott: Now vaccines have saved millions of human lives throughout our history. Small pox, measles, mumps, and hepatitis, just to name a few. The standards used by the FDA for previous vaccines are the same as those used for the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine.
And with any vaccine, you may experience some side effects that could be a sign that the vaccine is working. The most common reported side effects include pain at the injection site, tiredness, headaches, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, and maybe a mild grade fever. Side effects typically start within two days of vaccination and resolve usually within one to two days later. Plan, I would say, for a day of rest after each dose if possible. And I would encourage everyone who can get the COVID-19 vaccine to go ahead and do it.
Prakash Chandran: So I want to move on to the mechanics of how the vaccine actually works. You mentioned messenger RNA or mRNA technology. Talk to us a little bit about how that works.
Dr. William Scott: Messenger RNA technology is new. It's not a known. We basically been studying this type of technique for about a decade. This is really not a live vaccine and some vaccines use small doses of actual viruses to get the body to develop an immunity. However, this type of vaccine does not use the COVID virus and the vaccine will not cause you to get COVID-19.
Rather than putting a weak or inactive germ in our bodies, messenger RNA really teaches our cells how to make a protein or a piece of a protein that is called the spike protein. The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. That triggers our immune response to build antibodies and our immune system recognizes that the protein really doesn't belong and begins building the immune response that makes antibodies that neutralizes the virus.
Both these vaccines require two-dose series to be fully vaccinated with a second shot administered typically at 21 or 28 days later, depending on the specific vaccine you receive. The vaccines are shown to be over 90% effective with the second dose.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. That is very reassuring to hear. So just to summarize, if I were to break it down as a lay person, I might say most vaccines that I've heard about put this like weakened or inactive germ or piece of that virus into your body. But an mRNA vaccine is really a way to teach the body how to make a protein that combats that COVID-19 or triggers that immune response, right? And that's the spike protein that you're talking about. You're saying that the MRN vaccine tells our body to produce this harmless piece of what is a spike protein to combat COVID-19 when it comes into contact with it. Is that a good summary of it?
Dr. William Scott: That's a very good summary, I would say.
Prakash Chandran: And after you get the vaccine, we've heard about its efficacy in protecting you, but are you still able to spread COVID-19 to other people?
Dr. William Scott: Well, the vaccine is thought to be protective of any infection starting at 10 days after the first dose. However, it is unknown if this means that the virus can't be spread. So even those who get the vaccines should continue physical distancing and wearing masks to protect others.
While the vaccine brings us hope that we're at the end of this pandemic, it still will take months to meet the worldwide demand. Now is really not the time to pull back on our already proven prevention methods. So I'm asking everybody to please continue to wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands and avoid crowds.
Prakash Chandran: Okay, that makes sense. So how can people get this vaccine?
Dr. William Scott: Healthcare workers are receiving their vaccine now, as we've been receiving shipments from public health. Vaccines are being phased in to reach those who most are at risk first. Here at Carle, employers will hear from their managers when their area is eligible.
Over time, the vaccine will be available to first responders, such as police, fire, and the elderly, and those who have chronic conditions. And as the vaccine is available to the community, more information will be available from each county public health department and on Carle.org.
Prakash Chandran: And are there people that either shouldn't be taking the vaccine altogether or should be taking special precautions when they get it?
Well, obviously it's important to talk to your own healthcare provider who can answer questions that might be pertinent to your own special health needs. If you have a history of having a severe allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in the vaccine, then you probably should not take the vaccine that's the only major contraindication for this vaccine. And you can ask your own treating provider for the list of those ingredients.
Those with perhaps a history of having a reaction to other vaccines or injectable medicines should have a risk assessment to determine whether the vaccine would be appropriate. And there are certain individuals who may want to delay taking the vaccine, such as those individuals that are currently having maybe COVID-19 infection. They need to really wait until they recover and out of quarantine. And those people who may have been treated for COVID-19 should wait at least 90 days after treatment to get the vaccine.
And just so the audience understands how someone gets the vaccine. Is it just the shot to the arm? Is there any process that people need to be aware of here?
Dr. William Scott: No. It's typically like any other vaccine. People roll up their sleeve and they get it right into their deltoid muscle and they wait approximately 15 minutes after the vaccine just to monitor. And then they go back to their normal way of life.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. And you said that there was that second-round dose. So they go back to their normal way of life and then they come back for a second dose, right?
Dr. William Scott: Correct. The second dose is given either at day 21 or day 28, depending on which type of vaccine you received and it's administered in the same way. And they say that the second dose can cause a little bit more intense side effects, but they're treated just the same as the first type of side effects that you get.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. Super helpful. So before we close here, Dr. Scott, is there anything else that you would like to share with our audience regarding this vaccine?
Dr. William Scott: I think we are blessed to have a gift like this so soon after the virus has emerged on the national scene. And truly, I think we should take advantage of this type of technology that has been so important in getting this vaccine out quickly and hopefully get us past this dreadful condition.
Prakash Chandran: I couldn't agree more with you. And just so people can be proactive, you're saying the best thing to do is to check for updates on Carle.org. Is that correct?
Dr. William Scott: That's correct. It's a good place to go for any updates that you need or talk to your manager as well.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. Well, I think that's the perfect place to end. Dr. Scott, thank you so much for your time today. It's been truly informative.
That's Dr. William Scott, Head of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Employee Health for the Carle Foundation Hospital. For more information, visit Carle.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you.
This has been Expert Insights with the Carle Foundation Hospital. Thanks so much. And we'll talk next time.