By Blake Haas
BLOOMINGTON – Although recent COVID-19 vaccine results from British drug maker AstraZeneca show “highly effective” results, one Central Illinois Doctor says it’s still too early to know the long-term effects.
OSF General Surgeon Dr. John Wieland told WJBC’s Scott Miller the vaccine could be a two-dose vaccine, with the second dose containing a small virus thread.
“Well, I don’t think that you can really know with 100% certainty. The technology used in the production of the vaccine is sound; it has been tested at least in the short-term. I think really the questions that I have that have not been answered yet are how long the immunity is going to last? Is this something that we have to repeat a dose in a year, every five years, every 10-years, a year like the flu vaccine, every 10-years like a tetanus shot, or is it lifetime like a measles vaccine?
“Long-term effects are certainly a cause for concern, but the basic technology and knowledge of today try to factor that in as best as possible. That’s just an unknown that we have to live with at this point.”
Over the weekend, AstraZeneca reported their COVID-19 vaccine was up to 90 percent effective. Earlier this month, Pfizer and Moderna reported results were almost 95 percent effective.
“From a public health standpoint, the goal is to at least with this vaccine, and this is current projects, from what I’ve read; the goal is to try to vaccinate 70 percent of the population.”
Some doses could be available to the public before the end of the year, with broader availability by 2021.
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].
