How safe are the vaccines?
For all vaccines that are approved for use in Sweden, the benefit has been judged to be significantly greater than the risk of serious side effects.
The assessment is based on the fact that tens of thousands of people first tested the vaccines, without any serious side effects being detected.
Rare side effects can never be ruled out, and are only discovered when a large number of people have been vaccinated and sufficient follow-up data are available.
To date, there are no established causal links between any unknown side effects and the vaccines, according to the Medical Products Agency.
What side effects have been reported?
The Medical Products Agency compiles reported suspected side effects here.
So far, most mild side effects, such as soreness in the arm, fatigue and fever have been reported.
Several deaths among the elderly have occurred after vaccination, and are being investigated by the Medical Products Agency.
So far, nothing has come to light that means that vaccination needs to be stopped.
When do I get the vaccine?
The vaccination rate is mainly determined by how many doses the pharmaceutical companies have time to produce and deliver to the regions.
Here you can follow how it goes.
According to the national vaccination plan, the order of priority for those who are offered vaccines looks like this right now:
Phase 1:
Persons who live in special housing for the elderly or have home care.
Healthcare staff working with this risk group.
Adults living with someone who belongs to this risk group.
Phase 2:
Other people who are 70 years or older.
The oldest are vaccinated first.
Persons who are 18 years and older and who receive contributions in accordance with the Act on Support and Service for Certain Disabled Persons (LSS).
This also applies to persons who are 18 years and older and who have a decision on assistance compensation according to the Social Insurance Code Personnel in health and care, including LSS, who work closely with patients and care recipients.
Phase 3:
Other adults belonging to a risk group.
The work of specifying these groups is ongoing.
Phase 4:
Adults who do not belong to a risk group.
The regions have the opportunity to bring forward vaccination of certain healthcare staff.
So far, children under the age of 18 are not recommended for vaccination.
For children who have certain diseases or conditions that may involve an increased risk of severe covid-19 disease, vaccination can in some cases still be discussed with the child's doctor.
Read more here.
I'm allergic, should I get vaccinated anyway?
A few cases of severe, but transient, allergic reaction have been observed after vaccination.
The cause is suspected to be a component found in both vaccines (Pfizer / Biontech and Moderna) called polyethylene glycol (PEG).
People with this allergy are currently advised against vaccination.
Different vaccines have different contents, so the answer depends on which vaccine is relevant and what type of allergy you have.
For approved vaccines, there is product information with a table of contents of the vaccine and information on whether an allergy is an obstacle to vaccination.
Before the vaccination, you will fill in a health declaration where you must state if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction or breathing problems after previous vaccinations.
The now approved vaccines are not made from eggs and do not contain lactose.
Is there any difference between the vaccines and can you choose which one to take?
No, not at the moment.
Currently, two vaccines are approved for use in the EU and in Sweden from Pfizer / BioNtech and Moderna.
They are about as efficient, close to 95 percent, and are made with the same new genetic engineering called
mRNA
.
The vaccines do not contain any parts of the virus, but genetic information about the virus,
mRNA
, which is encapsulated in a fat globule and sends a message to our own cells to start producing parts of the coronavirus to which the immune system then reacts.
The EU also reviews data from AstraZeneca and Janssen, both of which are so-called vector vaccines.
They are made with a similar genetic technique as the
mRNA
vaccines, but here a nice cold virus is used as storage of genetic information about the coronavirus instead of a fat ball to send a message to the cells to start making the virus parts.
Janssen is trying to develop a vaccine that, unlike the others, only needs to be given in one dose.
Can I still be infected with covid-19 after being vaccinated?
Yes, Pfizer / BioNtech's and Moderna's vaccines provide up to 95% protection against the disease in those vaccinated, which means that most, but not all, receive comprehensive protection.
It also takes a while before the vaccine takes effect.
After the first dose, it takes about ten days before there is some protection in the body, but you are still susceptible to the infection.
Only a few days after the second dose, which is given three to four weeks later, do you have adequate protection.
Can I infect others after being vaccinated?
There may be such a risk.
The vaccines provide a very high level of protection against getting sick with covid-19, but it is still uncertain whether they will also stop people from being infected by the virus, and spread it further.
Israel has vaccinated several millions of its population with Pfizer / BioNtech's vaccine, and there can already be seen a large reduction in the spread of infection in the vaccinated group, which suggests that the syringes contribute to reduced spread.
How long does the protection last?
We do not yet know that.
We only have data since last summer, when the vaccines began to be tested on a large scale in humans.
Does the vaccine work on the mutated virus variants?
There are preliminary data indicating that both Pfizer / BioNtech's and Moderna's vaccines work well against the British mutant variant.
For the others, studies are currently underway to answer the question.
The companies also say that it should be possible to update the vaccines quickly if the virus changes too much in the future.
What if I am pregnant, or considering becoming pregnant?
There is currently no vaccine against covid-19 that has been tested sufficiently on pregnant women, but research is ongoing, so more information will come.
Animal studies do not indicate harmful effects to the fetus.
The Medical Products Agency recommends talking to your treating doctor before vaccination.
Pregnancy is a risk factor for severe covid-19. At present, vaccination should only be considered as the potential benefit outweighs the potential risks to the mother and fetus.
It may, for example, be that the mother has other risk factors for severe covid-19.
I am breastfeeding, can I take the vaccine?
Breastfeeding does not constitute an obstacle to vaccination, according to the Medical Products Agency.
It is unknown whether the vaccines are excreted in human milk.
Although there is no research on people who have breastfed at the time of vaccination, there is no biological basis for any side effects of the vaccine in the breastfed child.
Both vaccines can be given to fertile women.
I have antibodies to covid-19, should I still take the vaccine?
Yes, the antibodies you get after undergoing infection have been shown to decrease over time, and it is still unclear how long you are immune.
Vaccination is recommended for everyone who has had covid-19, even those who have antibodies.
You can be vaccinated as soon as you have fully recovered from covid-19.
If you belong to a risk group and take medication, should you continue to take the medication in connection with the vaccination?
Vaccines rarely affect other medicines.
People who use other common medicines have also been included in the studies that form the basis for approval.
There are drugs that have a strong effect on the immune system and they can reduce the effect of a vaccine.
If you are taking such a medicine, it is a good idea to consult your doctor.
Will there be a requirement to have been vaccinated for foreign travel and how do you get a certificate?
Today there are no such decisions, and we do not know how it will be in the future, according to the Swedish Public Health Agency.
Several EU countries and tour operators have said they want to introduce vaccination certificates for travelers.
The EU is currently reviewing the issue of what such a certificate might look like.
Sources:
The Medical Products Agency, the Swedish Public Health Agency, krisinformation.se and Ali Mirazimi, vaccine researcher at Karolinska Institutet.