Vaccine against Covid-19 Moderna: What you need to know

Posted by Pharmacist Nguyen Huy Khiem - Clinical Pharmacist - Faculty of Pharmacy - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

The SARS-C0V-2 virus has caused a major global pandemic and significantly affected the health and economies of many countries. Currently, there are a number of vaccines given to prevent this disease, including the vaccine against Covid-19 Moderna.

Acute respiratory infection COVID-19 caused by the SARS-C0V-2 virus strain has been causing a pandemic worldwide. Vaccines are considered to be one of the most effective weapons to help humanity fight infectious diseases ever. This time, the COVID-19 vaccine will be expected to bring the world through this pandemic as quickly as possible. Currently, there are a number of COVID-19 vaccines that have been successfully researched, tested and put into vaccination in a number of countries around the world. Here are some things to know about the Covid-19 Moderna vaccine – one of the most effective vaccines available today.
Moderna Covid-19 vaccine (mRNA-1273) researched and developed by Moderna company (USA), using mRNA technology to create immunity to SARS - CoV-2 virus. Specifically, the mRNA coding for the virus-specific spike protein is enclosed by a lipid envelope to prevent it from being broken down by enzymes in the body after injection. Next, the mRNA fragment will be recognized by dendritic cells and macrophages as foreign antigens, thereby triggering the body's immune response to produce T-lymphocytes and lymphocytes. B is specific for SARS-CoV-2 virus. The mRNA fragment of the vaccine has no effect on the genome of the person receiving the vaccine.

The effectiveness of the vaccine in the study was assessed by the criterion of reducing the proportion of patients with symptomatic Covid-19 (from 14 days after completing the 2nd dose). A study of 28207 patients (ages 18–94) showed that the Moderna vaccine effectively reduced the risk of symptomatic Covid-19 by 94.1%.
There are currently no data studies on the clinical efficacy of Moderna vaccine on other strains of SARS - CoV-2 virus such as strain B.1.1.7 (first discovered in the UK), strain B.1.351 ( first detected in South Africa), or strain P.1 (discovered in Brazil),... An in vitro study showed that the antibody-producing efficacy of Moderna vaccine was not affected by strain B.1.1 .7 (UK), however there was a decrease with strain B.1.351 (South Africa) and some other variants.

Adverse effects are more common after the second injection. Accordingly, these side effects are usually mild to moderate in severity and symptoms usually improve after about 2-3 days after injection. Vaccine. The most common adverse reactions included:
Injection site pain (92.0%) Fatigue (70.0%) Headache (64.7%) Muscle and joint pain (~50%) Vomiting, nausea (23.0%) Fever (15.5%) The incidence of anaphylaxis (life-threatening) reactions after vaccination was recorded as 2.8 cases/1 million doses.

DO NOT administer Moderna vaccine if patient:
Has a history of severe allergic reaction (such as anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. A history of hypersensitivity reactions (including symptoms of acute urticaria, angioedema, respiratory depression, anaphylaxis within 4 hours of injection) to polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate In addition, caution is warranted. when administering Moderna vaccine if the patient has moderate to severe acute illness or a history of hypersensitivity to other vaccines or other drugs. In these cases, if vaccination is necessary, it is necessary to consult an immunologist - allergist.
Moderna vaccine is indicated for 0.5 ml intramuscular injection (contains 100 μg of mRNA-1273). Inject a total of 2 doses, each dose given at least 28 days apart.