你可能已經(jīng)獲悉,英國和美國在前所未有的新冠疫苗推廣問題上遭遇了一些早期的障礙。美國食品與藥品管理局(Food and Drug Administration)授予輝瑞(Pfizer)和BioNTech的新冠疫苗緊急使用授權(quán),用于對某些新冠病毒高風險易感人群進行預防接種,例如醫(yī)療工作者和養(yǎng)老院的老人。自這之后一周多的時間中,各地便出現(xiàn)了分配問題,以及與“誰應(yīng)該最先使用疫苗”相關(guān)的一些毫不相干、令人疑惑的政策。
考慮到該項目的復雜性以及疫苗成功推廣所涉及合作利益相關(guān)方的廣泛程度,所有這些問題倒也不是那么地出乎意料。然而,隨著疫苗接種工作的開展,有件事可能會讓美國民眾感到猶豫不決,那就是有報道稱,在英、美兩國首批接受輝瑞新冠疫苗的人群中(包括醫(yī)療工作者),有一部分人出現(xiàn)了副作用。
至少阿拉斯加的兩名醫(yī)療專業(yè)人士就出現(xiàn)了嚴重的副作用,其中一名還不得已住進了醫(yī)院。英國也有兩名醫(yī)療工作者在接種后出現(xiàn)了過敏癥狀,其中一名輕癥患者一個多小時就恢復了,事實上,大多數(shù)人的這種癥狀都會很快消失。然而,這類副作用出現(xiàn)的頻率必然會越來越高,因為疫苗是全新的,而且?guī)в胁煌锶毕莸乃忻癖娮罱K都將接種疫苗。(在接下來幾個月中,隨著其他組別接種疫苗,我們會掌握更多有關(guān)疫苗副作用的信息,這一點可能取決于你所居住的地區(qū)。)
聽到新冠疫苗導致過敏反應(yīng)難免會讓人感到不舒服,但不應(yīng)該因此而拒絕接種。反而,人們應(yīng)該關(guān)注疫苗潛在的副作用,并做好請假一到兩天的準備,以應(yīng)對嚴重的不良反應(yīng)。
雖說可能存在副作用,甚至還可能很嚴重,但對大多數(shù)沒有過敏史或炎癥史的人群來說,疫苗不大可能會造成傷害。這一點已經(jīng)從輝瑞和Moderna的大規(guī)模臨床試驗,以及美國疾病控制與預防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)的結(jié)論得到了充分證明。
不過,美國疾病控制與預防中心的報告也顯示,接種新冠疫苗的副作用依然廣泛存在。疫苗通常在手臂上注射,到目前為止最常見的副作用就是首次注射部位會有一定的疼痛感。在輝瑞疫苗與安慰劑的對比試驗中,超過83%的年齡在18歲至55歲的人群出現(xiàn)了這類副作用。
其中51.1%的受調(diào)對象稱,注射部位出現(xiàn)了輕微疼痛,30%的人稱出現(xiàn)了中度疼痛。出現(xiàn)嚴重疼痛的人或更甚者僅占1%。其他副作用,例如泛紅和腫脹,則更加少見。美國疾病控制與預防中心稱,其他一些平均持續(xù)一天左右的常見癥狀包括疲勞、頭疼和肌肉疼痛(不過,哪些年齡段會出現(xiàn)輕微和中度副作用并沒有定數(shù))。
有關(guān)健康的懷疑論是可以理解的,但醫(yī)療專家指出,接種新冠疫苗總比感染新冠病毒強,因為后者要危險得多。
梅奧診所(Mayo Clinic)的專家梅蘭妮?斯威夫特博士最近向《財富》雜志透露,為了讓所剩無幾的勞動力盡可能地選擇接種疫苗,從而保持在崗工作,她所在的醫(yī)療系統(tǒng)列出了一個新冠疫苗副作用與新冠病毒感染癥狀對照表。
那么,這些(通常)輕微到中度,(往往)短暫的副作用與實際感染病毒的癥狀對比有什么區(qū)別呢?
哈佛醫(yī)學院(Harvard Medical School)的一名導醫(yī)稱:“感染新冠后,普通的癥狀包括發(fā)熱、身體疼痛、干咳、疲勞、發(fā)冷、頭疼、咽喉疼、沒胃口以及嗅覺變差。對于某些人來說,癥狀會更嚴重,例如高燒、嚴重的咳嗽以及呼吸急促,也就是通常肺炎的癥狀。感染新冠病毒的人群還會出現(xiàn)神經(jīng)性癥狀,消化道癥狀,或兼而有之。這些可能會伴隨呼吸系統(tǒng)癥狀出現(xiàn),也有可能單獨出現(xiàn)?!?/p>
美國當前的新冠病毒感染病例超過了1850萬,新冠病毒相關(guān)的死亡人數(shù)達到了32.6萬。這一死亡人數(shù)是自2010年以來美國疾病控制與預防中心每年流感相關(guān)死亡人數(shù)預估范圍上限的5倍還要多。
這些數(shù)字充分說明了接種疫苗的必要性。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
你可能已經(jīng)獲悉,英國和美國在前所未有的新冠疫苗推廣問題上遭遇了一些早期的障礙。美國食品與藥品管理局(Food and Drug Administration)授予輝瑞(Pfizer)和BioNTech的新冠疫苗緊急使用授權(quán),用于對某些新冠病毒高風險易感人群進行預防接種,例如醫(yī)療工作者和養(yǎng)老院的老人。自這之后一周多的時間中,各地便出現(xiàn)了分配問題,以及與“誰應(yīng)該最先使用疫苗”相關(guān)的一些毫不相干、令人疑惑的政策。
考慮到該項目的復雜性以及疫苗成功推廣所涉及合作利益相關(guān)方的廣泛程度,所有這些問題倒也不是那么地出乎意料。然而,隨著疫苗接種工作的開展,有件事可能會讓美國民眾感到猶豫不決,那就是有報道稱,在英、美兩國首批接受輝瑞新冠疫苗的人群中(包括醫(yī)療工作者),有一部分人出現(xiàn)了副作用。
至少阿拉斯加的兩名醫(yī)療專業(yè)人士就出現(xiàn)了嚴重的副作用,其中一名還不得已住進了醫(yī)院。英國也有兩名醫(yī)療工作者在接種后出現(xiàn)了過敏癥狀,其中一名輕癥患者一個多小時就恢復了,事實上,大多數(shù)人的這種癥狀都會很快消失。然而,這類副作用出現(xiàn)的頻率必然會越來越高,因為疫苗是全新的,而且?guī)в胁煌锶毕莸乃忻癖娮罱K都將接種疫苗。(在接下來幾個月中,隨著其他組別接種疫苗,我們會掌握更多有關(guān)疫苗副作用的信息,這一點可能取決于你所居住的地區(qū)。)
聽到新冠疫苗導致過敏反應(yīng)難免會讓人感到不舒服,但不應(yīng)該因此而拒絕接種。反而,人們應(yīng)該關(guān)注疫苗潛在的副作用,并做好請假一到兩天的準備,以應(yīng)對嚴重的不良反應(yīng)。
雖說可能存在副作用,甚至還可能很嚴重,但對大多數(shù)沒有過敏史或炎癥史的人群來說,疫苗不大可能會造成傷害。這一點已經(jīng)從輝瑞和Moderna的大規(guī)模臨床試驗,以及美國疾病控制與預防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)的結(jié)論得到了充分證明。
不過,美國疾病控制與預防中心的報告也顯示,接種新冠疫苗的副作用依然廣泛存在。疫苗通常在手臂上注射,到目前為止最常見的副作用就是首次注射部位會有一定的疼痛感。在輝瑞疫苗與安慰劑的對比試驗中,超過83%的年齡在18歲至55歲的人群出現(xiàn)了這類副作用。
其中51.1%的受調(diào)對象稱,注射部位出現(xiàn)了輕微疼痛,30%的人稱出現(xiàn)了中度疼痛。出現(xiàn)嚴重疼痛的人或更甚者僅占1%。其他副作用,例如泛紅和腫脹,則更加少見。美國疾病控制與預防中心稱,其他一些平均持續(xù)一天左右的常見癥狀包括疲勞、頭疼和肌肉疼痛(不過,哪些年齡段會出現(xiàn)輕微和中度副作用并沒有定數(shù))。
有關(guān)健康的懷疑論是可以理解的,但醫(yī)療專家指出,接種新冠疫苗總比感染新冠病毒強,因為后者要危險得多。
梅奧診所(Mayo Clinic)的專家梅蘭妮?斯威夫特博士最近向《財富》雜志透露,為了讓所剩無幾的勞動力盡可能地選擇接種疫苗,從而保持在崗工作,她所在的醫(yī)療系統(tǒng)列出了一個新冠疫苗副作用與新冠病毒感染癥狀對照表。
那么,這些(通常)輕微到中度,(往往)短暫的副作用與實際感染病毒的癥狀對比有什么區(qū)別呢?
哈佛醫(yī)學院(Harvard Medical School)的一名導醫(yī)稱:“感染新冠后,普通的癥狀包括發(fā)熱、身體疼痛、干咳、疲勞、發(fā)冷、頭疼、咽喉疼、沒胃口以及嗅覺變差。對于某些人來說,癥狀會更嚴重,例如高燒、嚴重的咳嗽以及呼吸急促,也就是通常肺炎的癥狀。感染新冠病毒的人群還會出現(xiàn)神經(jīng)性癥狀,消化道癥狀,或兼而有之。這些可能會伴隨呼吸系統(tǒng)癥狀出現(xiàn),也有可能單獨出現(xiàn)?!?/p>
美國當前的新冠病毒感染病例超過了1850萬,新冠病毒相關(guān)的死亡人數(shù)達到了32.6萬。這一死亡人數(shù)是自2010年以來美國疾病控制與預防中心每年流感相關(guān)死亡人數(shù)預估范圍上限的5倍還要多。
這些數(shù)字充分說明了接種疫苗的必要性。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
You may have read that the unprecedented COVID-19 vaccine rollouts in the U.K. and the U.S. have hit some early road bumps. In the slightly more than a week since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine an emergency authorization for certain groups at the highest risk of COVID, such as health workers and nursing home residents, there have already been issues with distribution and disparate, confusing policies on to whom exactly the first doses should go.
None of this is all that unexpected, given the highly complex nature of this project and the gamut of stakeholders who need to work together to make a vaccine campaign successful. But one thing that may be giving Americans pause as the effort rolls out is the wave of initial reports of side effects experienced by some of the first people in the U.K. and the U.S. to receive doses of Pfizer's COVID vaccine, including health workers.
At least two health care professionals in Alaska developed serious reactions, including one who had to be hospitalized. Two other health care workers in the U.K. developed similar symptoms, including anaphylactic symptoms, but most of the workers recovered from their symptoms quickly, including one within slightly more than an hour. More of these stories will inevitably trickle in, since the vaccine is so new and the sheer number of people, all with different biological peccadilloes, are expected to eventually take it. (We'll find out in the coming months exactly when other groups can get a shot, which will likely depend on where you live.)
An allergic reaction certainly sounds like an unpleasant prospect, but if it's deterring you from getting a vaccine, it shouldn't. Instead, you should keep an eye on potential side effects and prepare to potentially take a day or two off from work if they prove severe.
Although side effects are possible and can be severe, they tend not to be debilitating in most people without a severe history of allergies or inflammatory problems. There's plenty of evidence of that, both from Pfizer's and Moderna's large-scale clinical trials and from the conclusions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .
That said, side effects are fairly widespread, per the CDC report. The most common by far is some pain at the site of the first COVID vaccine injection, which is usually done in the arm. In a trial of Pfizer's vaccine versus a placebo, more than 83% of people aged 18 to 55 reported experiencing this side effect.
But 51.1% of the study participants reported that the injection site pain was mild; another 30% reported it was moderate. Severe and above was limited to 1%. Other side effects such as redness and swelling were far more rare. Other common issues, which lasted a median of about one day, according to the CDC, included fatigue, headache, and muscle pain (although which mild to moderate side effects hit which age groups can vary).
Healthy skepticism is understandable. But health care experts note it's still more important to get a COVID vaccine than risk getting COVID-19 itself. That latter option is far more precarious.
One expert, Dr. Melanie Swift of the Mayo Clinic, recently told Fortune that her own health system has developed a grid of side effects related to COVID vaccines versus those related to active coronavirus infections, in order to keep as much of a depleted workforce in place as possible.
So how do these (generally) mild-to-medium, (usually) brief side effects compare to the symptoms that hit you when you actually contract the disease?
"When the virus does cause symptoms, common ones include fever, body ache, dry cough, fatigue, chills, headache, sore throat, loss of appetite, and loss of smell," according to a guide from Harvard Medical School. "In some people, COVID-19 causes more severe symptoms like high fever, severe cough, and shortness of breath, which often indicates pneumonia. People with COVID-19 are also experiencing neurological symptoms, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, or both. These may occur with or without respiratory symptoms."
There have been more than 18.5 million coronavirus cases and 326,000 COVID-related deaths in the U.S. to date. That's more than five times as many deaths in the highest range of the CDC's estimates for annual flu-related deaths since 2010.
Those numbers make an even stronger case for taking a chance on the vaccine.