Japan scrambles to deploy the vaccine, but how many people will be shot?

The government is struggling to begin rolling out the coronavirus vaccine as early as the end of February. However, in countries where people are generally skeptical of vaccines, even if they are vaccinated, they may face the difficult task of persuading them to be vaccinated.

There is scientific consensus around the world that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective and they help achieve herd immunity — the light at the end of the tunnel.

Recent polls have shown that nearly 70% of Japanese are willing to get the coronavirus vaccine. But still, skepticism about vaccines is deeply rooted in the country.

In a 2016 EBioMedicine study of 67 countries, 31% of Japanese were skeptical of vaccine safety, the third highest after France (45.2%) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (38.3%). It is in the rank. The world average was 13%.

Traditional vaccines inject live viruses in attenuated or inactivated forms to provoke an immune response, but messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines developed by US companies Pfizer and Moderna do not.

When infused, mRNA directs cells to make peaplomers on the surface of the coronavirus that the immune system recognizes and makes antibodies. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during this process, mRNA does not invade the nucleus of the cell that holds the DNA, but degrades immediately after the mRNA gives instructions.

Vaccine skeptics

A small group of doctors have expressed concern about state-of-the-art mRNA vaccines or vaccines that use double-stranded DNA developed by the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Among them is Dr. Masahiko Okada (74), an emeritus professor at Niigata University. He is in favor of influenza and other vaccines in general, but said he would not be vaccinated against the coronavirus because of possible side effects of vaccines that use the genetic code. In the long run.

“Many deaths and cancer cases have been reported in connection with gene therapy,” Okada said. “Once an artificially generated gene enters the body, it is not possible to predict where it will be embedded in the gene. It may activate genes that promote cancer. The incubation period of cancer is more than 5 years. I don’t know if there are any serious side effects unless I follow up for at least 5 to 10 years. “

Okada also said he was distrustful of the pharmaceutical industry. Western companies in this sector have a history of being fined billions of dollars for manipulating data and promoting non-adaptive promotions for medical products.

“The biggest reason I have doubts about coronavirus vaccines is that I can’t trust the data released by pharmaceutical companies,” he said.

“I myself am not an’anti-vacciner’, I am vaccinated against influenza and HPV. I’m just against the coronavirus vaccine because I don’t see any scientific evidence (on safety), “Okada said in the words of those who oppose vaccination.

It is unclear whether Japan’s vaccination rate will reach more than 65%, which is required for herd immunity, and that will allow our lives to return to normal again. However, resistance to vaccination around the population may remain here for now.

“It’s hard to predict the outlook for the coronavirus, but humans and viruses have always co-existed for the past tens of millions of years,” Okada said. “The Spanish flu mortality rate a century ago was quite high, but it completely disappeared in three years. My biggest fear is that it may return to normal in a few years, but all the side effects of the vaccine. It means that there can be a terrifying scenario of remaining in humans. “

Scientific consensus

Professor Kentaro Iwata, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Kobe University Hospital, has wiped out skeptics about such vaccines, and there has been no debate about vaccines in general among infectious disease experts around the world, and the problem has been resolved for a long time. He said he had come.

“The data show excellent efficacy and high safety,” says Iwata. “Avoiding contact with people is essential to control a pandemic, but that’s not enough. Vaccines are the only game changer because there are no effective remedies and no other choice.”

However, he added that the fact that there is still such a debate about safety means that Japan is far behind other countries in terms of vaccines in general.

“Japan has a negative history of vaccines over the last three decades, and the government lacks sufficient efforts to educate the public,” he said. “It’s also because the mass media overemphasizes the risks of vaccines and largely ignores the benefits they bring.

“So it’s not easy to suddenly change people’s mindset, but looking at the data, it’s as clear as a day that it’s better to have a shot.”

The US CDC has so far detected 21 severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis after vaccination at a rate of 11.1 per million doses, with little concern about side effects. Iwata recognizes that vaccine skeptics have expressed concern about side effects in the long run, but may or may not happen five to ten years after being given an attitude towards other treatments. He says there is no point in discussing possible side effects.

In Japan, patients are flocking to new drugs, and some practitioners are dispensing new drugs sold by pharmaceutical companies, Iwata said. However, he added that he prioritizes the use of drugs that have been successfully used for the last 30 to 40 years.

“Patients are suddenly worried about long-term side effects when it comes to vaccines, but are prepared to take these drugs daily without doubting their health effects 10 years from now. I think this is a double standard. “.

“If you have allergies, you need to be careful when getting vaccinated, but the risks are so low that people without allergies are much more likely to benefit.”

Overcoming the coronavirus pandemic depends on each individual being vaccinated to protect others, Iwata said.

“Basically, the only solution to the coronavirus crisis is to reduce the number of patients,” he said. “But this message is not being communicated effectively. As the number of cases increases, so does the number of serious cases and deaths.”

When it comes to pandemics, he said, there is no point in discussing whether the government should prioritize virus containment or sustaining the economy.

“The conquest of the coronavirus is paramount,” Iwata said. “If you don’t like the blockades and other measures that severely limit our social life, it’s best to get vaccinated.

“That would be the only remedy.”