Anesthetics, Zimbabwe's shots, and a Polio-style vaccination strategy
We're covering all of it and more on health-desk.org
Hello Health Desk readers! This week we have forecasts for you on COVID-19 vaccinations during pregnancy, a new hub in South Africa that could open up vaccine access and a look at how polio vaccination strategies might help with uptake of the COVID-19 jabs. Our scientists are unpacking a bunch of topics for you, including what’s involved in taking anesthetics after COVID-19 vaccines, what we know about our immune systems and sexual inactivity, and a breakdown of the shots offered in Zimbabwe.
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Now, here's some of what our scientists are covering:
Is it dangerous to take anesthetics after getting a COVID-19 vaccination?
There is no evidence to suggest that anesthetics are life-threatening or dangerous to use after getting any COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine manufacturers have not issued any warning labels on any dangers of taking an anesthetic after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Anesthetics could make a COVID-19 vaccine less effective. This is because a vaccine interacts with the immune system, and so does anesthesia, which can interfere with how a vaccine teaches the body to fight infection. The American Society of Anesthesiologists recommends waiting at least two weeks after your final dose before getting surgery that will use anesthetics. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention simply recommends speaking to your doctor.”
Can sexual inactivity weaken your immune system?
There is no scientifically available data that suggests sexual inactivity can harm the immune system. One study that was conducted in 2004 suggested that people who had sex one to two times per week had more immunoglobin (an antibody that helps prevent illness) in their saliva than people who had infrequent sex. However, antibody levels do not necessarily indicate how well the immune system is able to carry out its core functions. Moreover, the study has not been repeated since.
“Yet another study from 2017 analyzed the sexual activities of 17,744 individuals. It reported that nearly one in six men and more than one in four women had reported sexlessness for over a year, and a majority of them reported not having sex for 5 or more years. The study found similar happiness levels and no significant overall physical health difference between the sexually active and sexually inactive people.”
How do vaccines approved in Zimbabwe protect us after the first and second shots?
COVID-19 vaccines tend to begin producing antibodies in people in as little as five days after being administered, but it usually takes a few weeks for the immune system to build up enough protection against the virus to be considered effective. Each of the vaccines in Zimbabwe are given in two doses, several weeks apart. They will not reach their full level of effectiveness until a few weeks after the second shot. This means that immediately after the first vaccine dose, protection is not strong and is still being developed. It is possible for a person to become infected with the virus during this time.
“COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Zimbabwe on a weekly basis. Roughly 3.9% of the country has been immunized, mostly due to a lack of global supply. With lockdown policies still in effect in some workplaces and quarantines for travelers arriving from certain regions, the government is hoping national stay-at-home measures will help prevent the spread of infections.”
And now a look ahead …
New study with pregnant people to give critical insights
Since the start of the pandemic, questions about the safety of vaccines during pregnancy have been rampant. This is why the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently began a study to evaluate immune responses in pregnant and postpartum women. As of now, pregnant people have been strongly encouraged to receive the vaccine, which may help pass along some immunity to their babies through breast milk or the placenta.
Pregnancy puts people at higher risk of COVID-19 complications like premature birth, high blood pressure, organ failure, hospitalization, and possible death, according to the NIH. The NIH’s MOMI-VAX trial will assess the development and durability of antibodies, vaccine safety, and what levels of protection may be passed along to babies when pregnant people get vaccinated. This study will help “...fill gaps in our knowledge and help inform policy recommendations and personal decision-making on COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and in the postpartum period” according to NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. We are hopeful the results will confirm the safety of vaccines in mothers and babies alike.
New technology transfer hub slated for South Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it is in talks to establish a technology transfer hub in South Africa to work on harnessing mRNA technology for vaccine creation. The hub would be monumental in the push for increasing vaccine access to low-income countries. Right now 1% of all vaccines in Africa are produced on the continent, and none of the current COVID-19 vaccines are produced there. Locally producing vaccines through this technology transfer hub, by teaching and licensing manufacturers to create them, could mean that the continent with the lowest vaccination coverage may be able to reshape international vaccine uptake, production speed, and trust in the vaccines. Look out for positive developments in the region’s vaccine production options soon!
Can polio elimination strategies change how we vaccinate for COVID-19?
Nations including Pakistan and India have fought the re-emergence of polio for years through the power of local citizens. In 2021 alone, 285,000 health workers have worked to reach 40 million children under five years old. Faced with similar challenges to the COVID-19 pandemic, like rampant misinformation and a lack of trust in health providers, the nation has relied on its own people going door to door to provide a personalized plea and immediate access to polio vaccination. Now, international experts have started paying attention to the program, which relies heavily on 100,000 women and mothers, whom many families with children trust. These women are able to enter areas which are often out of reach for men and have proven to be a key tool in the vaccination campaign. Could utilizing a program like Pakistan’s polio vaccine strategy help increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake? Several regional health experts are hoping for that outcome over the next two years.