Coronavirus: COVID-19 vaccine side-effects vs. the risk of infection

A lot has been said and scientifically established about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, and the amount of real-time protection they offer at this crucial stage. More so, it has been heavily stressed that getting the coronavirus vaccine jab outweighs the many feared risks that exist with catching the infection in the first place.

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Even so, there are many people who are skipping their chance to get a dose, dreading the side effects, or simply disbelieving the myths and discrepancies floating on the internet.

Some who have already contracted the virus once are also avoiding the vaccine, thinking that they will not fall sick again.

A lot of such factors are still actively contributing to rising rates of vaccine hesitancy and low coverage around the world. Even though getting a vaccine is not mandatory, health experts have majorly stressed the importance of getting a vaccine to minimize many of the feared dangers which loom with mutant variants.

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Even so, experts and doctors have been stressing this all along- the side-effects with a vaccine are much lower than that of getting the infection, despite all the raging reports of vaccines resulting in blood clots, heart inflammation and causing some adverse reactions.

But how exactly do the risks compare? While vaccination coverage needs to be sped up, we compare and analyze the different aspects which peg vaccines to be one of the best defensive tools we have right now:

The side effects, or symptoms with the vaccine are reactogenic in nature- which come up as symptoms of inflammation in the body.

An encounter with the virus, in one form or the other, can also cause a lot of symptomatic reactions, and changes to vital markers. There's a big contrast between the side-effects you experience on getting the vaccine, versus developing the infection.

Most side-effects with a vaccine are mild in nature, and resolve on their own, in a matter of 2-3 days. The most commonly reported ones include myalgia, fever, headache, dizziness, pain at the site of injection, nausea, chills.

In comparison to this, side-effects, or symptoms caused upon contracting the virus could be much more damaging in the long term. While the classic symptoms remain fever, change in smell or taste, body ache and respiratory symptoms, evidence has shown that the symptoms with COVID-19 could be long-lasting, and impact vital functioning. The risks are also higher for those older in age, or suffering from comorbidity. In contrast, no such risks entail vaccination.

The Delta variant of coronavirus, which is said to have originated in India is now one of the most dominantly spreading variants across the world, causing lockdowns and surging infections. Many studies have showcased that the behaviour of the Delta variant makes it much more dreaded than other variants.

While the Delta variant was responsible for the massive-scale devastation that happened in India during the recent months, experts fear that the variant and its additional mutations could engulf the same dangers across the world. As seen, the symptoms, dangers, and higher severity rates are also scarier.

Even as the variant has been found to surpass some of the antibodies generated vis-a-vis vaccines, it has been found that the people who were fully vaccinated (i.e., had developed immunity after getting two doses) had the most amount of protection from the variant's dangers. Not only are the risks of infection low, vaccinated people also tend to have fewer symptoms, less viral load, fewer complications, and shorter duration of symptoms.

Hospitalization and mortality risks can also be sizeably brought down, with the administration of any of the approved vaccines.

While most vaccination side-effects tend to be on the milder side, some people can experience unusual, serious reactions, including anaphylaxis, which has also been linked to some deaths.

A risk of blood clotting disorder, a potentially serious threat, has also been associated with vaccines like the Oxford-Astrazeneca and Jannsen vaccine. Newer studies have indicated that some mRNA vaccines could also cause myocarditis or heart inflammation in younger men.

In comparison to these, the risks of serious complications and side-effects after contracting a COVID-19 infection could be much more severe, and lingering in nature. Long COVID, post-COVID-complications such as new diabetes, heart inflammation, permanent lung damage, psychiatric issues, fertility issues can be much higher with a COVID infection, and strike anybody.

Even with the vaccine, while the risks do exist, experts stress that the risk of 'rarer' and serious side-effects are fewer and lower in comparison to general statistics. Even with the risks of blood clots, it has been witnessed that a COVID-19 infection could leave people with more serious clots than a vaccine probably would.

Therefore, not only are vaccines unlikely to cause lasting danger, the risks of developing serious side effects, long-term damage remains to be on the higher side with COVID-19 infection.