mRNA Vaccine Facts and Controversies, a Q&A
Should I or should I not take the vaccine? We hear that it’s effective but is it safe? I hear of controversies…things like Bell’s palsy…like front line health care workers not taking it…like allergies…like nano tech implants. What should I do when it’s my turn?
First and foremost, I am not advocating that the reader get any vaccine or medical treatment. That is a decision only you can make based upon your personal medical history in conjunction with consultation with a medical doctor, of which I am not one. I am merely trying to explain the science and debunk some of the myths. Read and share.
GENERAL STUFF
Will Dr. Rick take the vaccine?
Yup. I like the tech. I trust the science. My first shot is (or was depending upon when you read this) on 1/11. It’s the only way I see to, if not permanently, at least for a long period of time protect those around me who are most at-risk. This includes my mom-in-law and many of my patients, not to mention the other thousands of people I walk by in stores and, hopefully soon to be, Disneyland. I view taking the vaccine as a societal obligation. You may take another stance, but that is mine.
What is a virus and how does it work?
Viruses are a non-living, potentially infectious agent that cannot reproduce on its own. Therefore, it must use the cellular machinery of its host to make copies of itself. Once the cell is filled with virus copies the cell ruptures to release the virus. The vast majority of viruses are non-threatening. You might wonder why there are viruses in the first place. First and perhaps foremost, if it were not for viruses that control bacterial overgrowth the earth would be covered with a thick slime of bacteria. You and I and all other living things would not be here. So, thank God for viruses.
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines work to spark an immune response without having to suffer the disease. Vaccination is not a new concept. George Washington’s strong support for small pox vaccination of his troops as well as isolation of the sick likely played a major role in having enough soldiers to win the revolutionary war. There are a variety of types of vaccines. Some use a dumbed-down version of the virus (attenuated) such as the polio vaccine. Some use a neutral or non-infectious virus such as an adeno-virus. The Astra-Zenica vaccine, not yet FDA approved, uses this method. There are protein-based vaccines as well. The two that we have so far use a new technology, a single strand of mRNA contained within a very tiny nanotech lipid vesicle.
Will the vaccine make me immune to COVID19?
The data so far says that you are well protected (95%) from a severe infection, which is kind of the whole point. It is as yet unknown whether you are immune to a mild infection or whether or not you might be able to spread the virus to others if you come in contact with the virus. But keeping people from needing medical intervention, from having disabling disease and from dying is the point of the vaccine. As I’ve said a hundred times, it’s about protecting the most at-risk.
If I’ve had COVID19 can I get vaccinated, and do I need to get vaccinated?
It has been well established that your immune response is related to the severity of your infection, so if you have an asymptomatic case your immune response will not be as robust compared to if you were so sick you were hospitalized. On the other hand the vaccine is engineered to invoke a consistent, strong and vigorous immunological response. You should have a conversation with your personal physician, but I can say that I would still get the shot even if I had had a past COVID19 in order to ensure the strongest and longest possible immunity. The FDA supports this position.
If I take the shot how long will I be protected?
No one know for sure as of yet but the signs are hopeful. It is known that your antibodies will fade within 3-6 months. However, at least two studies I have seen report that the memory B cells for the SARS-Cov-2 virus are still found in the blood in high and stable quantities 6 and 8 months post-infection. Comparing this reaction to other known diseases, the scientists are hopeful that we may have immunity for years.
Why do some people get sicker than others?
This seems to be related mostly to how our bodies react, or overreact, to the invasion. Perhaps you have heard of this cytokine storm? Some people have an inflammatory response that seems to cause more problems than the virus itself. The most recent research is leaning toward genetic causes but lifestyle and pre-existing conditions play a huge role too. Do help reduce an inflammatory over-reaction I have increased my intake of anti-inflammation supplements, particularly vitamin D3 and Curcumin.
Why do children seem to be at less risk?
No one knows for sure but there are two leading candidates. First, the protein receptor on our cells that the virus uses as a doorway to get in, the ACE2 receptor, is in lesser quantities in children as compared to adults. Second, the adult exposure throughout life to other corona viruses (such as the common cold) may leave an immune footprint that kids don’t yet have that the virus is somehow able to take advantage of.
TECHNICAL STUFF
What is mRNA?
DNA is your programming software in the nucleus of every cell. When your cells need to make a new protein or enzyme, they make (“transcribe”) a special copy of the part of your DNA that programs for that particular protein. This special copy is called messenger-RNA or mRNA. The strand of mRNA leaves the nucleus and goes into the outer portion of the cell called the cytoplasm. It is here that your cellular machinery “translates” the mRNA into a protein. The protein then does whatever its job is and the strand of mRNA is very quickly broken down into its parts to be reused later. It is important to know that the enzyme that breaks down RNA is plentiful and found everywhere, even on your skin.
What are antigens and antibodies?
Antigens are unique protein components of viruses and other germs that your immune system is capable of producing antibodies for. Antibodies, on the other hand, are proteins made by your body capable of recognizing specific antigens and binding with them, essentially tagging them for destruction. Antibodies work like a lock and key with antigens, one specific antibody for each specific antigen. Once tagged, your other immune components can see and destroy the invader. It takes time for the immune system to design a new antibody for a new antigen, the time during which you may be sick.
How long do antibodies last?
It depends upon the antibody. Some will last a lifetime and some will fade quickly. As long as you have antibodies for a virus you will have “sterilizing” immunity to that disease, meaning that the virus cannot enter a cell because it will be quickly tagged and destroyed. If the antibodies fade away your immune system has memory cells that remember the virus and can very quickly make new antibodies if you come in contact once again with the same virus. During this time you may have a mild disease and may be contagious to others, depending upon many factors.
There appears to be direct correlation between the severity of your COVID19 infection and quantity of antibodies and longevity of your immunity. If true, people with little or no symptoms will not be immune as long as someone who survives a hospital stay.
How do mRNA vaccines work?
mRNA vaccines have been in the development stage for a decade or more, but the Pfizer version is the first to be FDA approved. The key technological development is to create a tiny container to carry the strand of mRNA from the needle to the cell. The reason for this is that the enzyme that breaks down mRNA is everywhere and in high concentration. Without a container the mRNA would be immediately destroyed. These containers are called nanovesicles and are made of fats/lipids, much like your cell membranes. Once the nanovesicle enters your cell it releases the strand of mRNA. Very quickly your cellular machinery translates the mRNA code into a protein which exits the cell without causing damage to you or your cell. The mRNA strand is immediately destroyed. The new protein your cell just made is an exact copy of the spike protein that we have all seen pictures of that covers the SARS-Cov-2 virus. It is the antigen but without the rest of the virus, therefore cannot harm you. Your immune system sees the antigen and then makes antibodies and all the other immune components making you immune to a future COVID19 infection.
What is herd immunity?
Herd immunity occurs when enough people within the population are immune to the disease so that the spread rate is reduced to less than 1. The spread rate is the average number of people each infected person will go on to infect. As long as it’s greater than 1 the disease continues to spread. For the flu it’s 1.4. For COVID19 it’s 2.5 or more. For measles it’s 12-18! The higher the spread rate the greater percentage of the population that needs to be immune to reduce it below 1, the point of herd immunity. It is estimated that we will need 4 of every 5 people in the world vaccinated to protect those that shouldn’t or can’t or won’t, a very large number.
CONTROVERSIAL STUFF
Why do some distrust vaccines?
This is a long discussion. Sometimes it’s based upon religious belief. Sometimes it’s a matter of a personal philosophy of health. It can be cultural. There’s the issue of distrust in things like government, science, politicians, “big pharma,” and the people setting policy. So there’s lots of reasons why people distrust vaccines. There was a time when an organic form of mercury was used as a preservative which lead to cases of extreme side effects, injury, and even death. During this period I had my reservations. This form of mercury is no longer used in vaccines. Aluminum is sometimes used as an adjuvant to enhance vaccine effectiveness which may concern some folks. There is no aluminum in the two vaccines we have at this point so it’s a non-issue. Some claim that vaccines cause autism. My wife is a school psychologist heading the severely autistic pre-school program in her district. She and I have had many discussions on this topic. There has never been a legitimate study supporting that vaccines in any way cause autism. However, it is true that autism is often first observed at the age when kids are getting vaccines making it seem as if vaccines are the cause. They are related in time but not in cause. Rather, studies are revealing that genetics probably plays a primary causal role in autism.
But the issue in front of us today is whether we would rather have COVID19 or a vaccine. I’ve seen first hand what COVID19 can do to a body and I choose the vaccine, no question.
Why are some health care workers declining vaccination?
See the above discussion. Just because they work in the industry does not give them special knowledge in virology, immunology, biochemistry, or microbiology. Yes, we don’t know the long-term effects of the vaccine since its brand new. But it’s essentially a numbers game. The chances of dying combined with the chances of having “long COVID” (long term issues such as brain fog, fatigue, shortness of breath, and worse such as blood clots) is outrageously riskier than any potential long-term effects of the vaccine.
Do they use fetal tissue in vaccines?
No, there is absolutely no fetal tissue inside of vaccines but fetal or embryonic stem cells are used during the steps of SOME vaccine manufacturing, but NOT the two that we have at this time in the U.S. This requires some history. Before George W. Bush’s executive order to ban collection of fetal or embryonic stem cells there were a number of stem cell lines that were in use in science. Yes, they had been collected from embryos and fetuses as early as the 70’s and still to this day exist as stem cell lines that are routinely used in research. Bush allowed these cell lines to continue to be used. Because of his order scientists in Japan developed a technique to convert adult cells back into stem cells, thereby ridding the need of even considering harvesting embryonic or fetal stem cells. Having said that, some virus manufacturers do use embryonic stem cells from this previously existing cell line as a medium to grow their vaccines. The Astra-Zenica vaccine, not yet FDA approved, uses such tech, and we can debate the ethical merits of this another time. However, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines we have now DO NOT use stem cells at all in their development or manufacture.
What is nano-tech and can they put nano-tech in my body?
Nano in this context means super small and tech means technology, so nano-tech means super small technology, nothing more than that. As to whether the vaccine can put nano-tech in your body, absolutely, that’s the whole point. But, the nano-tech they are putting in your body is not a robot or a tracking device or anything else nefarious. That’s utter nonsense. The nano-tech a tiny vesicle made of a special fat (lipid), very much like the membranes of your cells. Inside this tiny vesicle is a single stand mRNA. This lipid vesicle is able to go through your cells walls to deliver the strand of mRNA into your cell where it does is magic. The design and stability of this lipid vesicle is the essential reason why one vaccine can be stored in a kitchen fridge and one is stored frozen solid at 94 below zero. Note: of course the vaccine is thawed prior to injecting into you.
Can I get COVID19 from the vaccine?
No. That’s impossible. Since the vaccine only contains a small strand of mRNA and not any part of any virus, it cannot cause the disease.
What about long-term complications from the vaccine?
We know there are the 24-48 hours of feeling crappy as your immune system kicks in. We know that people with severe allergies can be allergic to something in the vaccine. And that’s about it in the data. We can’t know of long-term effects since the vaccine is brand new. But we do know that 2% of COVID19 infections result in death, and a much larger percentage results in permanent disability, and an even a larger percentage results in long-term issues, the so-called long haulers. It sort of comes down to a simple risk-benefit analysis. Would I rather face the possible complications of the disease I know or the unlikely complications of the vaccine that may be? For me it always comes back to protecting the most at-risk.
Can it change my DNA?
NOPE. mRNA doesn’t work in that direction. The people who spread this nonsense have never studied the science.
What about allergic reactions?
There have been a very very small number of allergic reactions to some ingredient in the Pfizer vaccine. They think it may be polyethyleneglycol (PEG). However, in every case so far the people who have had the allergic reaction had a history of severe allergic reactions. Also, in every case medical management of the allergic reaction resolved the issue successfully. The FDA now recommends that if you have a history of severe allergies to the ingredients of the vaccine or if you have such severe allergies that you carry with you an “epi-pen” you should not take the vaccine. The vast majority of us do not fit into this population.
What about Bells-palsy?
During phase 3 trials of one of the vaccines a small number of people who were not in the placebo group developed Bells-palsy, a temporary partial paralysis of one side of your facial muscles due to damage to the 7th cranial nerve. First, there is no evidence that that vaccine caused the palsy. Second, Bells-palsy is annoying for sure, but it is non-painful, temporary, and there is treatment to reduce it’s duration. But this is really a numbers game. First , the number of people who got Bells-palsy were fewer than the number of people who get Bells-palsy in the general population. In other words, if you pick 28,000 random people who are not part of a medical study, the number who will develop Bells-palsy exceeds the number who got it in the study. This supports that the vaccine DID NOT cause the condition. Secondly, we know that about 2% of all COVID19 infections will result in death. It is a small number until it is one of your own, but is 100 times more that the number who developed Bells-palsy in the study. So, IF the vaccine did cause Bells-palsy, which it didn’t, and you chose to not get vaccinated due to this questionable connection, you are saying you would rather accept a 2% chance of dying over a 0.02% chance of developing a very annoying temporary neurological condition.
Concerned about fertility and lactation?
Some women have voiced concerns about the effect of the vaccine upon their future fertility, current pregnancy, and breast feeding. This is an unknown since it was not part of either phase 3 study. Trials will soon start to look at into it so we will know more in time. Most medical authorities do not see a problem with this issue but they are also quick to admit that we just don’t know. With the exception of the measles vaccine, all other vaccines have a good track record in this arena posting no known issue. Therefore the FDA is not recommending against women getting vaccinated who are pregnant, lactating, or want to get pregnant. The question you may ask is whether you want to risk the known effects of a COVID19 infection against the theoretical and unproven effects of the vaccine? Once again, this is a discussion between you and your medical doctor.
What about Ivermectin?
Perhaps you have heard of the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin. It is a safe and effective drug used in humans and animals to control certain parasites and it has become a very popular drug for treatment and prophylaxis (prevention) in South America. There are controlled clinical trials going on to test this drug but there are no current double-blind studies to support its use either as a treatment or prevention of COVID19. There is an in-vitro (in the lab) study the showed faster viral clearing of infected cells using the drug but there are two problems with this. First, in-vitro studies are not predictive of what will happen in a living being. Second, the dose-equivalent would require humans to take so much of the drug that it would be dangerous. The only other support for the drug were collections of raw data that where posted and then removed from a pre-publication server, and a well meaning and sincere medical doctor pleading to congress to get the National Institute of Health to look at his data. But again, it’s just data, not a study. No publication. No peer review. No statistical analysis. So Ivermectin may be a thing and it may not. Let’s assume it’s a thing. How do you dose it? How often do you take it? When do you need to take more? Where do you get it? Perhaps more importantly, there has never been an extremely effective anti-viral treatment for any virus at any time. Yes, there is Tamiflu for the flu and Acyclovir for shingles, but they only shorten the duration of the disease at best, and the evidence for that is sketchy. Given the history of anti-viral therapies, it is so unlikely that we will ever have some killer drug against COVID19, something in the area of effectiveness like antibiotics are to bacteria. And the likelihood of it being Ivermectin is not something I am going to risk the life of the most at-risk people in my life.
Why don’t we just let is go through the community to get herd immunity?
I cringe when I hear this argument. These people have most certainly never walked through an ICU full of COVID19 victims on respirators. These people don’t live with at-risk people, or if they do I feel sorry for their family that they care so little for. And these people don’t understand there has never been a disease in which world-wide immunity was achieved by natural herd immunity. It can happen in small communities, but for it to occur world-wide let’s do the math. There are more than 7 billion people in the world but let’s use that number as a low bar. For herd immunity, we’ll assume that 80% need to get infected, a number being tossed about by experts, and finally we know that 2% of those 80% will die. Conclusion – 112 million would have to die for world-wide natural immunity, and that’s a best case scenario.
CONCLUSION
We are in the middle of a pandemic that will result in millions dead that should not have been. In epidemiology they call this “excess deaths,” more than the historical average for the same place and time. We have two, and soon to be more vaccines that are safe and effective. We have the most at-risk to protect which includes people like my mother-in-law but also people who are young and have no known risk factors until they are in the ICU on a ventilator. We know that most of the dead from COVID19 are like my father and had preexisting conditions making them more susceptible. Specifically, 85% of all deaths from COVID19 had preexisting conditions. This means that 15% didn’t. This means that there are 277,000 dead world-wide who did not have any pre-existing conditions and would still be alive today except for COVID19. This means that there are 52,000 Americans dead in a mere 10 months who did not have pre-existing conditions and would still be alive today except for COVID19. This is the same number of Americans who died in the entire 19 years of involvement in the Vietnam War! Only a vaccine has the power to get us out of this, and we need 4 out of every 5 people to roll up their sleeve. If you want to stop wearing that mask and protect the most at-risk there is only one choice, and for my part, I believe it is my civic duty. I hope you feel the same.
Well said and thanks for the info