Page 55 - Standard Indicators for the social appropriation of science

the mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2. One study the potential safety risks of the vaccines.
estimated the effects of applying this strategy There are many strict protections in place
globally to be 30 million deaths. It is, of course, to help ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are
unacceptable. safe. Like all vaccines, COVID-19 ones are
going through a rigorous, multi-stage testing
Is the vaccine for COVID-19 safe for us? process, including large (phase III) trials that
involve tens of thousands of people. These
Yes, update research indicates the vaccines trials, which include some groups at high risk
for COVID-19 have a very good safety profile. for COVID-19 (certain groups i.e. pregnant and
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lactating women were not included in vaccine
has granted emergency use authorisation trials), are specifically designed to identify any
(EUA) for two COVID-19 vaccines. Both have common side effects or other safety concerns.
been tested in large clinical trials. Data from Even though the coronavirus vaccines were
the manufactures show that the known and developed more quickly than other vaccines in
potential harms of becoming infected with the the past, they have been carefully tested and
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outweigh continue to be monitored.

Online resources

1. PlayDecide: Vaccines, key tools for prevention, supported by Ecsite, the European
network of science centres and museums

2. VAX! A game about epidemic prevention

3. The History of Vaccines: History of Anti-vaccination Movements, The College of
Physicians of Philadelphia

4. BMJ: Wakefield’s article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent

5. Which parts of Europe are likely to be most hesitant about a COVID-19 vaccine?,
Euronews

6. Vaccines and immunisation, WHO

7. Vaccination, European Commission

8. European Vaccination Information Portal

9. Immunisation and vaccines, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

10. Vaccination, World Economic Forum

11. Herd Immunity: How does it work?, Oxford Vaccine Group

12. Vaccines for COVID-19, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

13. Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe? Johns Hopkins Medicine

14. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Mythbusters, WHO

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