{"id":2147,"date":"2021-09-19T10:44:59","date_gmt":"2021-09-19T10:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/khoo.com.au\/?page_id=2147"},"modified":"2021-09-19T10:44:59","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T10:44:59","slug":"the-pfizer-comirnaty-vaccine","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/khoo.com.au\/index.php\/the-pfizer-comirnaty-vaccine\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pfizer Comirnaty vaccine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

17th September 2021, Dr Chee L Khoo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Pfizer Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine<\/strong> is an mRNA<\/strong>\nvaccine which is designed to induce an antibody response against the spike\nprotein<\/strong> of the covid-19 virus. It contains the genetic code for the spike\nprotein. It does not<\/strong> contain any live virus, and it cannot give you\nCOVID-19. After getting the vaccine, your body makes copies of the spike\nprotein. Your immune system respond by raising antibodies against the spike\nprotein. If and when covid-19 virus ever attack you, the pre-formed antibodies\nare ready and will help reduce your chances of catching the infection. It also\nsignificantly reduce the severity of disease if you catch covid-19 infection\ndespite the vaccination. Your chance of dying or being on a ventilator if you\ncatch covid-19 is reduced by 90-95%. It also reduces transmission of the virus\nto someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comirnaty <\/strong>is effective in preventing COVID-19 in people aged\n12 years and older. People who had two doses of Comirnaty<\/strong>were about 95 % less likely to get symptomatic COVID-19 than people who did\nnot get the vaccine. It was equally effective in people over the age of 65\nyears, as well as people with some stable pre-existing medical conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protection against COVID-19 starts from about 2\u20133 weeks after the first\ndose. While one dose may give some protection, it may only last for the\nshort-term. Two doses, generally given 3-4 weeks apart, will give optimal\nprotection. No vaccine is 100 % effective, so it is possible that you can still\nget sick from COVID-19 after vaccination. We do not know for sure how long the\nprotection from Comirnaty<\/strong>will last but\nrecent studies suggest that at 6 months, the vaccine is still protective. More studies\nare pending. It is likely that we will need booster shots in the near future\nbut we don\u2019t know when and which vaccine yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pregnant women with COVID-19 have an increased risk of severe illness and\nadverse pregnancy outcomes. Real-world evidence has shown that Comirnaty<\/strong>is safe for pregnant women and breastfeeding women. If you are\nbreastfeeding, you can have Comirnaty<\/strong>. You do not need to stop\nbreastfeeding after vaccination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who may not be suitable to have the Pfizer vaccine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a precaution, people with a history of any of the following conditions\ncan receive Comirnaty<\/strong>but advice should\nbe sought from a GP, immunisation specialist or cardiologist about the best\ntiming of vaccination and whether any additional precautions are recommended:<\/p>\n\n\n\n