SANTIVIA BLOG

What is a vaccine?

A vaccine is a product that stimulates a person's immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease, with the intention of protecting the person from that disease. Vaccines contain a dead or weakened version of a microbe.

The long-awaited Covid-19 vaccines are finally arriving in many countries. 

Frontline workers and the high risk elderly in nursing homes will be given vaccination priority. Governments are encouraging their citizens to come forward for vaccination when offered to them. 

Efficacy of the vaccination

The vaccination's purported benefit is to avoid serious illness if one was unfortunate to contract the virus. Hopefully, this would result in fewer people having to be hospitalised in a critical condition. It may help high-risk individuals with underlying medical conditions.

However, two crucial factors are not yet known:

1. Will the vaccination render one non-infectious?
2. What's the degree and length of immunity the vaccination provides?

Only when sufficient people have received the various vaccine types will we know the answers to these two critical points. The fact that the virus is continually mutating to different strains will also complicate matters.

The vaccine clinical trials results indicated that there are three segments of people for which the vaccines have some risk of severe adverse side effects. It is not clear whether these people will be offered the vaccine.

These are:

1. The immuno-compromised, (i.e. those with weakened immune systems) such as cancer patients and those on immunosuppressant drugs such as steroids;
2. Pregnant and lactating women; and
3. Highly allergic individuals (side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine could be a small risk of an anaphylactic reaction).

Vaccines won't be a silver bullet

The CEO of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies, MERCK, commented that drugs to treat or prevent Covid-19 are not a 'silver bullet' solution to the pandemic. He predicted that people will still need to wear masks and practice social distancing well into 2021.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Chief, Dr Tedros,  warned  that Covid-19 will not be the last pandemic. He explained that "history tells us that this will not be the last pandemic, and epidemics are a way of life". "The pandemic has highlighted the intimate links between the health of humans, animals and the planet." 

A Strong immune system Is the best defence

American doctors who studied people who succumbed to Covid-19 stated that they had a below-normal number of immune cells. They also had a low number of critical messenger molecules which are responsible for directing the immune response. In other words, their immune system was weak, incompetent and unable to fight the virus appropriately.

Richard S. Hotchkiss, Professor of Medicine, commented: "We think if we can make our immune systems stronger, we'll be better able to fight off this coronavirus, as well as other viral and bacterial pathogens." His research team concluded that "patients become ill because their immune system is not able to do enough to protect them from the virus, and as such, they suggest that boosting the immune system could be a potential treatment strategy."

Additionally, a healthy and robust immune system combats all types of challenges, not just viruses.

Santivia Immune helps keep your immune system strong and competent

Santivia Immune is the ideal supplement to keep your immune system boosted and balanced, especially during these trying times. It helps to strengthen your immune system, by increasing crucial NK cell numbers and activity (NK cells target viruses). It replenishes communication molecules which direct the immune system. 

Share this post with anyone who may find it helpful. Keep safe and healthy!